Ruth Langsford’s world was shattered when her beloved sister, Julia, took her own life in 2019. Now, four years later, the Loose Women star opens up about the torment and the unrelenting grief that has haunted her since that fateful day. In an emotional interview, Ruth reveals the devastating questions that still linger in her mind – questions that may never have answers.
Julia’s death, at the age of 62, was a tragedy that shook Ruth to her core. For years, Julia had battled a silent war with depression. Despite her struggle, Ruth never saw the signs. Her sister’s tragic suicide left Ruth and her family in a whirlwind of confusion, shock, and deep sorrow. “I think suicide is just, it’s such a tragedy,” Ruth explains, her voice choked with emotion. “The people left behind are just left not knowing why. Your question is just: ‘Why? Why? And why?’”
The Unanswered Questions That Still Haunt Ruth
As Ruth reflects on the devastating loss, she’s left with three specific questions that continue to torment her heart: “Why didn’t we see it? How could we not have known? Why didn’t she talk to us?” The thought that she could have done something to save her sister – that maybe if she had just seen the signs earlier – gnaws at her. It’s a burden no one should have to carry, yet Ruth has carried it for years.
“I think about it all the time,” she admits. “There are no answers because she will never be able to tell us why.” This haunting realization is the cruelest part of her grief – knowing that Julia’s reasons, her silent pain, will never be fully understood. The emptiness that comes with unanswered questions has been an unbearable weight on Ruth’s soul.
A Heartbreak That Changed Ruth Forever
Ruth recalls the hardest year of her life – 2019. The year Julia died. “It seemed wrong to be cheerful on screen, when inside, my heart was breaking,” Ruth confesses. The death of her sister nearly broke her, and for a moment, Ruth even considered stepping away from her career. “The hardest year of my life was when my sister died. I can’t even tell you what year it is. I’ve blocked it from my memory,” she shares, her voice breaking. “But I needed a focus, which was, get up. And I would cry in the shower and then I could almost cut it off and go: ‘Right, come on, time for work’.”
In the depths of her grief, Ruth found herself pushing through the pain for the sake of her work – her one true lifeline. “I had to force myself back into work,” she says. “And that’s what helped me cope.” Ruth credits her return to her career as her “saviour,” the only thing that kept her going when everything else felt too much to bear.
Moving Forward, but Never Forgetting
Despite the pain, Ruth has found a way to honor Julia’s memory while also finding a way to heal. As time passes, Ruth has come to understand that Julia wouldn’t want her to live a life consumed by sadness. And so, she continues to move forward, though she will always carry the weight of the grief with her. “You just think you could have done something,” Ruth reflects, her heart still heavy with loss. But she also knows that nothing could have changed the tragic outcome.
As Ruth continues to heal, her journey is a reminder that grief never truly leaves you. It’s something that you learn to live with, even though the pain may never fully go away. For Ruth, the loss of her sister is a part of her that will always remain, but she’s learning to move forward with it, honoring Julia’s memory while embracing the life she still has.
The questions may never be answered, but Ruth’s strength and resilience in the face of heartbreak are a testament to the power of love, family, and healing.
