TBT: Did John Ritter Have to Die?

Did John Ritter have to die? On September 11, 2003, Ritter suffers from heart problems while rehearsing for his sitcom “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.” He begins sweating profusely, vomiting, and complaining of having chest pains. He is taken to the hospital across the street from the studio - coincidently it is the same hospital where Ritter was born. Physicians misdiagnose Ritter and treat him for a heart attack; however, his condition deteriorates. He is then diagnosed with an aortic dissection - a tear in the aorta that grows. Ritter dies during surgery, six days before his 55th birthday. He would have turned 70 today. Ritter is interred at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery.