A tearful Ruth Langsford has opened up about the devastating loss of her sister, Julia Johnson, who tragically took her own life in 2019. The popular Loose Women star, 66, shared the heartbreaking impact of her grief, revealing the ongoing emotional toll it has taken on her.
Julia, 62, had struggled with depression for years, and her death left Ruth with the agonizing question: “Why?” In an emotional conversation on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, Ruth admitted, “Suicide is just such a tragedy, and the people left behind are just left not knowing why.”
Despite years of searching for answers, Ruth has come to the painful acceptance that she will never know why her sister took her life. “The only way I can make sense of it and stop it hurting is to understand she didn’t want to be here, and nothing I could have done would have changed that,” Ruth explained.
The grief has been immense, with Ruth reflecting on the questions that still haunt her: “You just think you could have done something. Why didn’t we see it? How could we not have seen it? Why didn’t she talk to us?” Yet, she shared, “There are no answers because she’ll never be able to tell us why.”
In the midst of her sorrow, Ruth credited her work for helping her through the difficult moments, saying, “I just miss her so much, but I know she wouldn’t want me to have a sad life.” After taking some time off, Ruth returned to work, finding strength in the routine.
Ruth’s 2019, the year of Julia’s death, remains etched as the “hardest year” of her life. In an interview with Best Magazine in 2020, Ruth revealed that she nearly quit her career, struggling to reconcile her heartbreak with her public persona. “It seemed wrong to be cheery on screen when inside, my heart was breaking,” she confessed. 
The support of her then-husband, Eamonn Holmes, was invaluable during this time. He encouraged Ruth to return to work, reminding her that she had “so much to live for” despite her overwhelming grief.
As Ruth continues to navigate the loss of her beloved sister, she emphasizes the importance of not locking away pain. Speaking candidly with Loose Women co-star Kaye Adams, Ruth expressed how she needed the focus of her job to keep moving forward.
Sharing a final photo with Julia after her death, Ruth wrote on Instagram: “My lovely Sis Julia has sadly died after a very long illness. My heart is completely broken.”
Ruth’s story highlights the deep and lasting impact of suicide on those left behind and the importance of finding a way through grief.
Source: Daily Mail
