Charo Opens up in First Interview since Husband Kjell Rasten Took His Life

After a month of mourning and shying away from the world, Charo opened up about her husband’s heartbreaking death. “My husband put a bullet in his head; I have an invisible bullet in my heart,” she said.

While death is never easy to accept, Charo was able to come to terms with the horrifying loss of her husband, Kjell Rasten, who shot himself after suffering from bullous pemphigoid, which led to depression.

Maria Rosario Pilar Lorenza Emilia Eugenia Martinez Molina Baeza De La Osa Rasten, better known as Charo, became a widow in February after walking around her home, singing “Good morning, good morning,” and finding her lifeless husband with a bullet through his head.

COPING WITH DEATH

His passing led Charo to confine herself in the bedroom where she did nothing but cry and feel the void her husband left inside her heart. Death was not something she could bring herself to understand, and so she never prayed.

After 30 days of pain and mourning in isolation, the “Love Boat” star began to understand and realized life goes on -- and so she decided to live the rest of her life dedicated to bringing joy to others.

LIVE YOUR LIFE

“You must live! And you must watch out for the people you love! I have a plan. I want to change the world. I know what I want; what I want is what people want,” she told the New York Times.

Charo continued to talk about her love for life and entertaining others and vowed to strengthen her faith through prayer, which she failed to do amid her husband’s passing. She also disclosed that Rasten never talked about suicidal.

RASTENS DEATH

Charo’s husband died on February 18, at the age of 79. He is survived by his wife of 40 years and their only son, Shel. In a statement, the actress announced the devastating news: “There are no words to describe what we are feeling now.”

“He was an amazing man, a great husband and the best father I could imagine to our son. He dedicated his life to loving and supporting his family,” said.

While Charo recognizes the pain her husband had to endure and decided to end, she reminded the public that depression or any other sickness is not solved by taking ones life. “Hold them close, tell them you love them with all your heart,” she advised.