It has been a difficult six months for John Schneider, who is still reeling from the loss of his wife, Alicia Allain, who died of breast cancer in February at the age of 53.
“The Dukes of Hazzard” actor is now opening up about the private last moments he shared with his beloved wife, and the “lie” he told her while she was on her deathbed.
“I, of course, told her it was OK,” he shared of his final conversation with his wife. “‘If you’re tired, if you want to go see your grandma, you want to go see your grandpa, if you want to go, then it’s OK. You go.’ And that was all the truth. … But then I lied, because I said, ‘Don’t worry about me; I’ll be OK.’
John Schneider detailed the last moments he spent with his wife Alicia Allain, admitting he lied to her while she was on her deathbed. (John Schneider/Facebook)
“That was a lie I had to tell, but she knew it. OK is a long way away. The last thing I said to her was, ‘I love you desperately, and I’ve got multiple sets of very long-term plans for you.’ And that’s true, because eternity’s a very long time, and I believe it. I’m counting on it.”
John Schneider said he was not present with his wife when she died. (John Schneider/Facebook)
Schneider, 63, says that not being present with Alicia when she took her last breath has also helped him through his grief.
“The thing that helped me most in the grieving process was I’m quite sure that she waited for me not to be there, because I think she knew I couldn’t handle it,” he explained. “Her mom and her dad were there. Her daughter [Jessica Dollard] was there. Her daughter’s fiancé [Daniel Turner] was there. And I think she waited for me to be gone.
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“I’m grateful for that, and then part of the pull-pull thing [of grief] is not wanting to admit that it happened,” he added. “I still wake up in the morning, and I reach for her in groggy sleep. I keep my eyes closed, and I reach over, hoping maybe this was a dream. I’m a creative person. I have some very vivid dreams; maybe this is one of them.”
WATCH: ‘DUKES OF HAZZARD’ STAR JOHN SCHNEIDER, WIFE ALICIA ALLAIN OPEN UP ON HIS MEMOIR AND HER CANCER BATTLE
In 2020, Schneider and Allain told “Fox & Friends” Allain had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
At the time of her diagnosis, Schneider says his wife was “three years into a five-year shelf life.” Allain said her symptoms consisted of “aches and pains,” which eventually “showed up on the skin.” After seeking treatment from a dermatologist, Allain learned of her diagnosis.
“I went into like a speed course of reading what path I was going to take and decided to do keto for cancer, CBD oil and then ground myself in minerals. … I really got into a really rigid regimen,” she explained of attacking her illness.
John Schneider starred as Bo Duke alongside actress Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke and Tom Wopat as Luke Duke in “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The show ran for seven seasons. (CBS)
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Although Alicia reached remission, her husband announced in February 2023 that she had died.
In a social media tribute, Schneider wrote, “My beautiful Smile is pain free, living in her new body alongside Jesus.
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“Please respect our privacy during this time of grief,” he wrote. “Please do not ask any questions. If you have any pictures of us and our obvious love and adoration for each other, please post them below. Lastly… hug those you love tight and let them know how you feel. We always did.”
