Hollywood star’s chilling undiagnosed condition before on-set collapse killed him

0John Ritter sadly died on set of 8 Simple Rules -Credit:WireImage (WireImage)Three's Company star John Ritter died suddenly at age 54 from an aortic dissection that was initially undetected and wrongly diagnosed as a heart attack, just hours after collapsing on set during rehearsals for his TV show 8 Simple Rules.He achieved fame through his starring role in a beloved American sitcom before his unexpected death occurred mere hours after rehearsing for his family-friendly television series.

John Ritter's abrupt passing left the entertainment world reeling. Following his untimely death at just 54 years old, it emerged that he had been suffering from an undiagnosed medical condition that doctors had mistakenly identified as a heart attack, ultimately resulting in major litigation.

John was a celebrated performer, best known for portraying Jack Tripper on the ABC sitcom Three's Company, a performance that earned him both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe. This comes after Mirror US looked into Michael Jackson's autopsy.

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However, his distinguished career came to a devastating end when he was transported to hospital and died aged 54 during surgery.

It was September 11, the week before his 55th birthday, and he was rehearsing at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California, for the series 8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter. Without warning, while on set, John experienced a wave of nausea and began perspiring heavily, reporting chest pains.

He subsequently began vomiting. John was transported to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Centre, conveniently located across the street from the studio and, in a chilling coincidence, the same hospital where he was born.

He arrived at 6pm, but five hours later his relatives received the heartbreaking news that he had passed away. John was initially assessed by A&E physicians who were convinced he had suffered a heart attack, but they were mistaken.

His health deteriorated rapidly, forcing doctors to rush him into theatre after identifying an aortic dissection.

This life-threatening emergency occurs when a tear in the inner layer of the body's main artery allows blood to surge between the arterial walls, effectively tearing them apart. It was argued that with earlier detection, the actor could have been saved.

When the correct diagnosis was finally made, John was immediately taken for surgery, but tragically it was too late, and he was pronounced dead at 10:48pm.

After his passing, Ritter's wife, Amy Yasbeck, filed a negligence lawsuit against a Burbank hospital, along with two additional wrongful death suits against two physicians.

One doctor had provided care to Ritter on the night of his death, while the other had reviewed results from a body scan performed in 2001, which revealed arterial abnormalities.

Multiple lawsuits were settled outside court, totaling $14 million, approximately £10 million. Regarding the two physicians, the jury delivered a 9–3 verdict in their favor, and both were ultimately exonerated.

His wife has been vocal about her belief that her husband would be alive today if he'd been correctly diagnosed sooner. She said: "John didn't have a chance. He was never given that chance."

The American TV star left behind four children, several of whom pursued careers in acting like their father. His son Jason received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his role in Parenthood.

He has additionally appeared in Joan of Arcadia, Gravity Falls and the movie Frozen 2. John's other son, Tyler, has featured in NCIS, Modern Family and The Mccarthys.