John Ritter's Son Claimed He Felt His Father Was Watching Him 'All the Time' After His Tragic 2003 Death: 'He's There'
John Ritter died in 2003.
Sept. 16 2026, Updated 2:20 p.m. ET
John Ritter's son, Jason, revealed that he felt his father was still with him from beyond the grave after his tragic death in 2003.
More than 20 years later, RadarOnline.com revisits his son's heartfelt words about his late dad.
How Did John Ritter Die?
John Ritter suffered an aortic dissection.
John passed away on September 11, 2003, after suffering an aortic dissection – a tear in the primary artery that carries blood away from the heart – while filming his sitcom 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
He was only 54.
He left behind his wife, Amy Yasbeck, and his kids: Jason, Carly, Tyler and Noah.
Jason Ritter Feels His Dad Is 'Looking Over His Family'
Jason Ritter said he felt his dad was still watching over him and his family from beyond the grave.
In a resurfaced interview from 2004, Jason, who is also an actor and producer, admitted that he felt like his father was watching over him in the months after his death.
"I feel like he’s seeing me all the time," he explained in an interview shared with Radar. "I don’t feel like I have to come and say: ‘Did you see that?’ I feel like he’s there, seeing it all."
"I know he’s looking over his family — both his real family and his TV family," he added at the time.
John Ritter's Eerie Prediction, According to a Source
Jason Ritter was 23 when his father died.
While John's death came as a shock to his friends and family, according to an insider, the actor had long worried he would suffer heart issues.
Shortly before his passing, the insider claimed John told Jason that his own father died of heart disease at an early age and that it had always been a "secret fear" that the same would happen to him.
"John made Jason promise that as his oldest child, he would look after both his ex-wife Nancy – who is Jason’s mother – and Amy and the children he had with both of them," noted the insider.
Jason Ritter Gets 'Scanned Every Year' for Heart Issues
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Jason Ritter said he's been careful with his health since his father died.
His father's unexpected passing was a wake-up call for Jason and his siblings when it came to their health.
"Ever since this happened, my siblings and I all get scanned every year," Ritter, 46, said during a sit-down with People at The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health’s Evening from the Heart LA gala earlier this month.
Jason is also careful to monitor other health conditions he's been diagnosed with in the past.
"Two years ago out of nowhere, I was told I had type one diabetes," he shared. "Now have an insulin pump, and I’m trying to eat the right stuff, and watch my sugar and my carbs and all that stuff."
"There are certain things where it’s like my choices are either be vigilant or maybe cut my life pretty short," he continued. "I wish it didn’t take something like that to really get me to tighten up, but now I’m really grateful for the opportunity to try to be more vigilant."
