Actor Henry Winkler testifies for John Ritter's widow
In Glendale civil court, the 'Happy Days' star says the late actor seemed in top form on his last day. Ritter's family is suing two doctors in the wrongful-death case.
In a cameo courtroom appearance this morning, actor Henry Winkler told jurors that his friend John Ritter seemed in top form on the set of his hit television show on Sept. 11, 2003, the day he died.
By that afternoon, however, Winkler said he had noticed Ritter "was sweating. He said, 'You know, I really need to get some water.' "
"That was the last time I saw him."
Winkler -- who testified today in a Glendale civil court on behalf of Ritter's widow and children -- provided a stiff dose of celebrity in a trial that is grounded in medicine.
Ritter's family is suing two doctors in a wrongful-death case that will turn largely on dueling medical experts who disagree over whether an emergency room physician mistreated Ritter on the day he died.
The defense contends Ritter exhibited the classic signs of a heart attack, and his treatment was appropriate. He died of a tear in the aortic artery.
Attorneys for actress Amy Yasbeck, Ritter's widow, and his four children said in court this week that the actor might have lived had he gone home from the set of his show, "8 Simple Rules," without seeking medical intervention. Ritter died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank about four hours after walking into the hospital's emergency room.
In court today, Winkler, an author and director as well as an actor, said he got to know Ritter 30 years ago and they became close friends. Winkler, who played the iconic role of Fonzie in the television series "Happy Days," recalled his friend's "excitement for life."
On the day Ritter died, Winkler was making a guest appearance on Ritter's show. Ritter's family contends that the actor could have earned more than $67 million over the course of the show, which had just begun a second season.
In addition to testifying about what he witnessed on Ritter's last day, Winkler also spoke about his interactions with his longtime friend and how great a loss his death was to his family. Winkler shared memories of performances he had done with Ritter over their careers. He said that he came to know Ritter as a great colleague and a loving father and family man.
"Every thought that John had included his children, all four children," Winkler said. "Every conversation we had somehow wrapped around his children. His pride, his love, his worry, his making sure that every one of them was fine."
