Nearly five years after the sudden passing of her late husband, actor and comedian Bob Saget, Kelly Rizzo is offering an intimate and unfiltered look at the continuing realities of bereavement. The 47-year-old podcaster took to Instagram to share a deeply personal list detailing what she described as the “weird things about grief,” shedding light on the unexpected emotional waves, guilt, and coping mechanisms that persist long after a tragedy.
Bob Saget passed away unexpectedly in January 2022 at the age of 65 in his Orlando, Florida, hotel room following an accidental fall. As the anniversary of his death approaches, Rizzo has continued to use her platform to foster community and open dialogue among others navigating profound personal loss.
Navigating the Complex Realities of Long-Term Bereavement
In a series of digital slides featuring photographs from their six-year relationship, Rizzo broke down the nuanced and sometimes contradictory feelings associated with mourning. Among the most poignant realizations she shared was coming to terms with the permanence of her loss.
“I’m still coming to terms with the fact that there will never be another new photo of him,” Rizzo wrote. She also admitted a struggle familiar to many widows: “I still feel guilty for feeling happy.”
Her candid reflections explored several other complex facets of the healing process, including:
- Unpredictable Emotional Outbursts: Rizzo noted that crying “still shows up at the weirdest times.”
- Comparative Grief: She confessed to occasionally questioning whether her grief counts less because she only knew Saget for six years.
- Unconscious Judgment: Rizzo chided herself for briefly judging a stranger’s quick return to dating before recognizing that grief timelines vary for everyone.
- The Need for Storytelling: Emphasizing the urge to keep his memory alive, she wrote, “You still don’t want them to be forgotten. Say their name, tell their stories.”
- Altered Subconscious: She shared that dreams do not follow a timeline, noting she did not experience a significant dream about Saget until earlier this year.
- Life After Loss: Rizzo described how life remains permanently divided into “Before Bob Died” (BBD) and “After Bob Died” (ABD), adding that surface-level small talk remains “unbearable.”
In her post’s caption, Rizzo summarized the fluid nature of sorrow: “Grief morphs and changes forms and evolves over time. It’s always still there. It just has different personalities from month to month and year to year.” Fellow public figures who have experienced profound loss, including fellow widow Amanda Kloots, quickly resonated with the sentiment, commenting on the universal weight of the “before and after” reality.
Moving Forward and Honoring Saget’s Legacy
Rizzo has previously spoken about finding a supportive path forward. In February 2024, she went public with her relationship with actor Breckin Meyer. She has repeatedly praised Meyer for his emotional intelligence, noting that he creates a safe space for her to continue honoring Saget’s memory without hesitation.
“He knew what I went through, and he appreciated it and accepted it – and always likes to talk about Bob,” Rizzo shared in an interview with E! News, adding that Meyer has also been warmly welcomed by Saget’s adult daughters, Aubrey, Lara, and Jennifer.
By continuing to speak openly about the winding path of recovery, Rizzo hopes to dismantle the societal pressure for people to “get over” a loss on a rigid schedule, offering comfort and validation to others coping with unexpected tragedy.
