Howard Stern announced on his radio show on Wednesday that his longtime friend and stylist Ralph Cirella has died. He was 58.
Cirella had become a familiar voice to listeners of the Howard Stern Show over the decades, often weighing in on movies, technology and other aspects of popular culture.
As Fox 8 News reports, Stern said that Cirella’s “heart gave out” on Tuesday morning during a routine procedure intended to deal with a “rare lymphoma” that was “curable and treatable”.
Stern added that he was “angry” that Cirella waited so long to address the issue. “I just have been so sad and so angry,” said the radio host. “He didn’t take care of himself.”
Stern paid tribute to the pair’s shared sense of humour and their friendship, which he said had endured for about 40 years.
“He loved me,” Stern said. “Ralph was a trustworthy, dear friend who made me laugh every time I was with him.”
irella, who worked as a make-up artist and stylist, often accompanied Stern for his television appearances on America’s Got Talent and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Stern also gave credit to Cirella for setting in motion his 2008 marriage to his wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern, after urging him to attend the party where they first met. “He’s the reason I met Beth,” Stern said.
“There was a lot of good times on the show with Ralph,” added Stern, explaining that they’d last spoken the night before his death when Cirella was hopeful he would survive his cancer treatment. “I’m taking it very hard.”
