In a recent episode of his eponymous radio show, Howard Stern announced the death of his longtime friend Ralph Cirella. “My dear, dear friend Ralph … has died… I just have been so sad, so angry,” Stern admitted during the December 6 episode dedicated to honoring Cirella. Per The New York Post, Stern revealed that Cirella had been diagnosed with a curable and treatable form of lymphoma and was undergoing a treatment procedure when he died. “Ralph developed an illness, but I really feel he got involved a little too late because the illness he got was curable and was treatable, but he had some complications of waiting too long, and I got very upset with him,” Stern explained (via Entertainment Weekly).
Nonetheless, the veteran media personality had nothing but praise for his friend, who also doubled as his stylist. “Ralph was a trustworthy, dear friend who made me laugh every time I was with him,” Stern gushed. And expectedly, the famed stylist’s sudden death hasn’t been easy on his loved ones, including Stern, who admitted to be struggling with grief. “I think this is the toughest part of loving someone — when you lose them. Lord knows I loved Ralph,” Stern said on the show. “I was not ready for Ralph to go. I was not expecting Ralph to die. I’m taking it very hard,” he added.
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In addition to the pair’s enduring friendship, Stern also credits Cirella for introducing him to his wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern, whom he married back in 2008.
