Bob Saget and his wife Kelly Rizzo’s great love for each other was the real deal.
The actor-comedian, known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom “Full House” and as the wisecracking host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” died while on a stand-up tour. He was 65.
Deputies in Orange County, Florida, were called Sunday about an “unresponsive man” in a hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando and found Saget dead, according to a sheriff’s statement on Twitter. Detectives found “no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.”
On Tuesday, Saget’s pal Mike Young told People magazine that the late star was fiercely devoted to the Eat Travel Rock blogger.
BEFORE HIS DEATH, BOB SAGET DISCUSSED FUTURE PLANS, EXCITEMENT OVER NEW STAND-UP SPECIAL
Bob Saget and Kelly Rizzo met in 2015.
(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“… Bob was so happy and he talked about her all the time,” said Young. “He really did. They were getting ready to go on a vacation together… He loves hers to death. He talks about her every day.”
The couple first met in 2015 and tied the knot three years later in 2018.
Young, who spent the past 12 years touring with Saget for stand-up shows, described how the late star would rush home from their performances so he could be with Rizzo.
“He would get up at five o’clock in the morning to get on the first flight to go back to his wife and get home,” said Young. “Not me, I’d go on the third flight. He’d be on the first flight out, get home, get back to Kelly and just live his life. He didn’t want to spend any extra time. He really valued his time. There was no loose time with him, which is a really impressive thing – it’s a lesson I take from him.”
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Bob Saget and director Mike Young were often on the road together doing stand-up comedy across the country.
(Photo by Chris Weeks/Getty Images for The Orchard)
“He knew time was precious, and he didn’t waste it,” added Young.
According to the comic, it was the grieving Rizzo who was the first one to call him with the news of Saget’s death.
“This is going to be a heavy, long situation, and it hurts because as much as she has to share him with the whole world, she knows damn well that he was hers and that was it, and he was all about her,” Young told the outlet.
Recently, Young told Fox News that he and Saget last spoke on Friday night while the TV star was eagerly hitting the road.
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Bob Saget and Kelly Rizzo tied the knot in 2018.
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)
“Bob would always say, ‘I love you,’” Young tearfully recalled. “Like I was his kid. I haven’t felt anything like this since my dad passed. He was like a father figure to me. He was my mentor. … We just laughed. He told me his show in Orlando went great. And he was so excited to do Jacksonville. And he couldn’t wait to get to West Palm Beach. But the last time we spoke he said, ‘I love you, buddy.’ That’s how he ended every conversation.”
Young shared that Saget was excited to return to his stand-up roots. At the time of his death, Saget was in Florida as part of his “I Don’t Do Negative Comedy Tour.” After warm audience receptions to his gigs Friday in Orlando and Saturday in the Ponte Vedra Beach resort area, he celebrated online.
“I’m back in comedy like I was when I was 26. I guess I’m finding my new voice and loving every moment of it,” Saget posted Saturday on Instagram.
Young stressed that all Saget wanted to do was “make people happy.”
SUZANNE SOMERS SAYS BOB SAGET ‘HAD TWO SIDES’ WITH ‘BAWDY SENSE OF HUMOR’
Bob Saget and Kelly Rizzo attend the red carpet premiere and party for Peacock’s new comedy series ‘MacGruber’ at California Science Center on December 08, 2021, in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo by JC Olivera/WireImage)
“I wish people got to know the real Bob because he was even sweeter than the TV Bob,” said Young. “He loved his daughters beyond belief. Everything was about his daughters. … He was a family guy and a true friend. I miss him, now and always.”
Following Saget’s death, Rizzo issued a statement to Fox News.
“My whole heart. Bob was my absolute everything,” she said. “I am so completely shattered and in disbelief. I am so deeply touched by the outpouring of love and tribute from our friends, family, his fans and his peers.”
“When the time is right and when this news is not as raw, I look forward to sharing more of Bob with the world. Sharing how much he meant to me, all of those around him, and how much all of his fans and friends meant to him as well,” the statement continued. “Thank you for respecting my privacy at this time.”
Bob Saget had daughters Aubrey, Lara and Jennifer with first wife Sherri Kramer before divorcing in 1997.
(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Saget starred as the squeaky clean patriarch in “Full House” from 1987 until 1995. He reprised his role for the Netflix reboot “Fuller House,” which ran from 2016 until 2020. He was also heard as the narrator on “How I Met Your Mother,” which aired for nine seasons on CBS.
In early 2020, Saget was preparing for the start of his comedy tour when the pandemic put it on hold. He turned his energies to a podcast, “Bob Saget’s Here For You,” which gave fans an open mic to comment and ask him questions.
Saget had daughters Aubrey, Lara and Jennifer with first wife Sherri Kramer before divorcing in 1997.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
