The Untold Truth Of Ricki Lake

Ricki Lake's second ex-husband, Christian Evans, died from an apparent suicide in 2017 after a long battle with bipolar disorder. The jewelry designer was found in his car with a self-inflicted gunshot wound 48 hours after emailing a suicide note to his sister, People confirmed. He was 45.

The pair began dating in 2010 and tied the knot in 2012. "He was the funniest person," Lake said of Evans, who was open about his bipolar from the beginning. "He had a lot of self-esteem issues and a lot of demons. But I understood him, and he was someone that I think a lot of people misunderstood." Things went smoothly to begin with, but the marriage suddenly became strained in 2014 when Evans had a manic episode, something Lake had yet to witness. "[He] thought he could fly," she recalled. "He thought he could cure cancer with his hands. It was horrific. He just wasn't the person I had been with for four years."

Evans was ultimately hospitalized, and a therapist advised Lake to end all contact with him until he got better. The couple finalized a divorce in 2015, but reconciled and moved back in together after Evans was released. "I was still in love with him, so there was something romantic about it," Lake said. "I wanted to save him."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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