Despite her honesty and candor, Rizzo’s dating life as a widow has come under scrutiny from strangers, leading her to speak directly to those judging her choices.
Kelly Rizzo has received major backlash from social media users for dating 2 years after her husband, Bob Saget, passed away.
Rizzo, 44, brought her relationship with actor Breckin Meyer into the public sphere when they attended a Grammys viewing party together on February 4, 2024.
She’d been married to Saget from 2018 until his death at age 65, due to head trauma, in 2022.
Rizzo doesn’t shy away from the topic of grief. She uses her podcast, “Comfort Food,” and her social media accounts to discuss her enduring love for her late husband while letting followers into her mourning process.
In an appearance on “The Talk,” she revealed that choosing to date after Saget’s death was not a decision she took lightly.
“I was very concerned when I first started thinking about dating again and moving forward,” she said. Her concern centered around finding a potential partner “who just gets it, who appreciates the situation, who’s strong enough to really handle it and deal with this crazy, weird world and also understands that Bob’s not going anywhere and he’s gonna be a part of my life forever.”
She shared how much she appreciates that Meyer is that particular person and that he welcomes keeping Bob’s memory alive.
“I’ve just been so lucky to find someone who does appreciate that and gets it and holds space for that and is strong enough and confident enough to handle that and also loves talking about Bob and asking questions about Bob and just knows that he’s always gonna have a place in my life,” she said.
Yet there are those who believe that Rizzo is moving on too quickly, despite not knowing her or understanding the depth of how she feels.
Rizzo’s decision to date Meyer, 2 years after Saget’s death, doesn’t detract from the love she had for her husband.
Instead, it means that she’s keeping her heart open and letting herself be both vulnerable and willing to find love after loss.
Rizzo took on her critics by having a discussion on TikTok about dating as a widow. She responded to a follower, who commented, “For those of you saying she moved ‘too fast,’ how long should she wait? It’s been two years. He’s not coming back. She should be able to have happiness.”
“Unless you are a widow or widower, you truly have absolutely no place and no right to comment on this because you do not know what it’s like,” she began. “You just don’t understand the incredibly complex and difficult and dynamic thoughts and feelings that come up during this entire process.”
Rizzo remarked on the feelings of guilt and shame she had when she thought about dating, mixed with the intense sense of loneliness she felt.
She shared that even with support from your spouse’s family and friends, “You still feel really weird about it.”
“In my situation, it was Bob’s daughters, Bob’s friends, they were saying it’s okay… But you still need to feel okay with it and [feel] peace with it, in your own heart,” she said. “I didn’t personally get to that point until well after a year after Bob had passed, to even think about it. I didn’t start dating until 18 months or so after Bob passed.”
“Now, people are seeing me with my boyfriend and it’s two years and a few months after. Maybe some people think Bob passed, like, a minute ago, because they’re like, ‘This is so fast.’ It has been well over two years and for every person, it’s different.”
Kelly Rizzo commented on an aspect of the conversation that appears inherently gendered, saying, “Sometimes men move on a couple months after their spouse passes away and sometimes people never do.”
