- Jason Ritter, son of the late John Ritter, raises a daughter with his actress wife, Melanie Lynskey.
- Fans have criticized Melanie's body since she gained weight.
- Jason publicly praises and admires his beloved wife with touching words.
John Ritter, best known for his role in "8 Simple Rules" and "Three's Company," had four children when he passed away. Their names are Noah, Tyler, Carly, and Jason, and each has forged their path in life.
Jason, Ritter's eldest child, has started his own family and now raises one child with his wife, Melanie Lynskey. While they are a happy family, Melanie has faced criticism because of her weight.
John Ritter, his son, Jason and his wife, Nancy on November 9, 1981 | Source: Getty Images
It has been 20 years since Jason's father passed away, but Ritter made a lasting mark on his son, who says he navigates parenthood by following what he experienced when being raised by his father.
Jason's daughter was born in 2018, and the couple ensured that one thing they passed down to their daughter from his father was that she always knew just how loved she was. Jason and Melanie believe that telling their daughter they love her is crucial, but there is something else they deem essential.
John Ritter and Jason Ritter during 2003 Sundance Film Festival | Source: Getty Images
The couple always wants their daughter to know that she can fail or mess up and her parents will always love and respect her. Jason once shared:
"So, 'I love you' and 'I am here' are the two main ideas we're trying to pass on to our daughter."
When she was younger, Jason's daughter began to love acting like her grandfather and parents. As a toddler, she would watch videos of herself and then ask to see them again by imitating the sound she made in the videos.
Jason also said that his daughter enjoyed recreating old videos she had made before and even did the same "scene" once or twice. Jason believes his father would enjoy seeing his granddaughter "acting" as he did.
Why Does Jason's Wife Have to Defend Herself After Gaining Weight?
While Jason and Melanie are delighted with their young daughter, who is intelligent and funny to them, Melanie has faced criticism because of her weight gain in recent years. These comments have taken a toll on the actress, who recently lashed out.
Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter attend the "Wild Canaries" New York premiere at the IFC Center on February 25, 2015 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Melanie starred in "Yellowjackets," a mystery series that premiered in 2021. By late January 2022, the actress had taken to Twitter to share her experience of what it was like being on the show and the feedback she got.
The actress mentioned that ever since the show had premiered and people witnessed her weight gain, all she had heard was that people were only concerned about whether or not she was still healthy despite her weight gain.
Melanie did not appreciate these comments, even if they seemed well-meant. She snapped back at the critics, saying they did not know her exercise routine or how healthy she was.
Melanie Lynskey (L) and actor Jason Ritter attend HBO's "Togetherness" Los Angeles Premiere And After Party at Avalon on January 6, 2015 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
She made sure to end the post by mentioning that: "skinny does not always equal healthy." Many commenters agreed with Melanie's sentiments and wished people would stop commenting on women's weight.
More recently, Melanie talked about what it was like for her to struggle with an eating disorder for over a decade and what her healing process was like when she finally overcame it.
After overcoming her eating disorder, the actress said it was difficult for her to love her body. It was also challenging to accept her body after the hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and childbirth.
Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter attend the Los Angeles Premiere FYC Event for Hulu's "Candy" at El Capitan Theatre on May 09, 2022 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Melanie believes that the one thing that helps her become more accepting of her body and herself in general over time is that she can portray a particular type of woman on TV and allow someone who looks or feels like that to feel empowered. She mentioned:
"That's going to make other women feel stronger and other women feel okay because everybody looks different."
While Melanie is grateful she can represent a particular group of women each time she is onscreen, she believes that representation is a huge problem in Hollywood because not enough people feel seen or heard.
Melanie Lynskey attends the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Melanie said few women look like her on TV, and there are also not many women of color, which is a struggle for them as they do not see themselves represented in essential roles.
The actress believes that if more groups are represented, those people will learn to love themselves more. For now, when she is having a hard day and doesn't love herself much, she asks herself why she shouldn't go out and act beautiful. She then said:
"Also, my daughter thinks I'm the most gorgeous thing she's ever seen. I don't want her to stop thinking that."
Yet, fans and directors still tell Melanie that her "body isn't right" for specific roles, and she combats these comments by going out into the world in whichever outfit she chooses, even if it is tight-fitting or deemed not suitable for her size.
Doing this allows Melanie to feel confident in her body and show the world that she is not afraid of what anyone else thinks about her body as long as she feels happy and healthy. Her husband certainly feels she is the most beautiful woman.
How Does Jason Publicly Admire Melanie?
While people worldwide don't believe Melanie's body is suitable for some roles, and some are concerned that she has gained weight, Jason is not one of them.
Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter arrive at the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards at Barker Hangar on February 27, 2022 in Santa Monica, California | Source: Getty Images
In fact, Jason enjoys praising his wife for her beauty, intelligence, and wit. He does not comment on her weight and never lets her feel like her body is not good enough for him or their daughter.
In March last year, Jason took to Twitter to share a photo of Melanie on the red carpet at the Critic's Choice Awards. She wore a blue suit with a silver clutch purse and neutral makeup. Jason gushed:
"I am sorry to do this, and she will be embarrassed that I did this, but my GOODNESS, what an [absolute] beaut my wife is!!!"
He invited his fans to look at his wife, who he thought was also the best person he knew. Jason finished the post by adding the fire emoji and saying he was done praising her for the evening.
Fans of the couple were immediately charmed by the post and said it was amazing to see a husband being so in love with his wife and praising her despite what others have said about her.
Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey arrive to the 74th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 | Source: Getty Images
Now that more people recognize Melanie because of her roles in "Yellowjackets" and "The Last of Us," she has gained some new fans, yet Jason will always be her biggest fan. Talking about her latest projects, he enthused:
"It's so satisfying; it's so incredible. She's just been so wonderful for so long, and she never really put a lot of thought process into anything else aside from her work. That was always the most important thing to her."
Jason then shared that he hoped her new fans would go back and watch some of her earlier work to see that she had always been so talented and capable and give her the recognition she deserved for her hard work throughout the years.
Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey attend the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 04, 2023 in Santa Monica, California | Source: Getty Images
Melanie is also ecstatically happy with her husband and madly in love. In fact, she says she has nothing to complain about when it comes to him or their family because everything is coming together as she hoped.
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