Ralph Cirella, 58, a stylist and makeup artist, passed away on Tuesday following treatment for an uncommon type of lymphoma.
On Wednesday morning, Howard Stern revealed the passing of his longtime friend and stylist on his SiriusXM radio program, The Howard Stern Show. Stern, 69, went on to say that Cirella’s “heart gave out” during a procedure.
The host remarked, “Ralph was a reliable, kind friend who made me laugh every time I was with him.”
The broadcast paid homage to Cirella, who Stern had known for forty years and had previously been on the program multiple times. Stern disclosed that he had spoken with his deceased friend the evening before he died, during which they talked about the cancer being “curable and treatable” and expressed optimism for the future.
“I believe that losing someone is the most difficult aspect of loving them,” Stern remarked. “I loved Ralph, Lord knows.” “You and Ralph have a secret language,” my wife told me last night, and it’s true. Ralph was one of my brothers, and we had a terrific friendship and chemistry. Actually, I started to consider Ralph to be family.
The celebrity went on, “I just have been so sad and so angry.” “He neglected his own needs.”
The radio host also shared memories of the evening when Cirella forced Stern to attend a party, where he eventually met Beth Ostrosky, the woman he married in 2008.
Stern said, “I met Beth because of him.”
John Stamos also honored Cirella by posting a lengthy remark on Instagram in recognition of their friendship.
The actor stated, “Ralph had a lot of unrealized potential, but he struggled to find the motivation to fully realize it—a painful reality that we all witnessed.” “It serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of life and the significance of pursuing our dreams and seeing them through to completion.”
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“My heart aches at the thought of Ralph leaving this world alone, never having experienced the profound love he so richly deserved,” he went on. I told you a story about someone who labeled me lucky in our last conversation. They gave me a straightforward but insightful explanation when I questioned why: “Because you’re friends with Ralph from the Howard Stern show.” And they were entirely correct.
The sixty-year-old Full House alumnus described Cirella as “one-of-a-kind” and reminisced about their connection, which began when they worked together on Stern’s Channel 9 show in the “old days” of the 1990s.
Part of the message said, “Ralph wasn’t just a friend; he was family.”
