This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
Celebrity Grief: How Stars Cope with Loss ¶
Death is a universal experience that affects people from all walks of life, including celebrities. In this article, we will explore how some celebrities have coped with the loss of their loved ones.
As Norman Cousins once said, 'Death is not the greatest loss in life, the greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.'
1. Peter Kabere ¶
On April 2014, the gospel fraternity lost a talented artiste Peter Kabere after he was electrocuted while washing his car. At the time of his death, Kabere's wife Njeri was expectant with their second child.
Speaking to The Nairobian, Njeri shared her story of coping with grief. 'I have found ways of coping with grief that are positive. I let my body go through such emotions as crying and feeling sad. I talk about what I feel and express myself. I try not to numb my pain but release it eventually.'
Njeri also revealed that reading books about heaven has helped her find courage in the knowledge that her husband is with God. She also includes her kids in the healing process, doing a lot of writing and journaling, and celebrating what her husband was when alive.
2. Isabella Kituri ¶
TV presenter Isabella Kiturui lost her spouse after battling colon cancer when she was only 25-years-old with a three-month-old baby boy. In a past interview, Isabella revealed that she mourned for eight years between 2005 and 2013.
Isabella's pastor counseled her to move on, and she eventually removed her wedding band seven years later. She also had a meeting with herself, deciding to stop behaving as if the world owed her for the loss and pain she suffered.
3. George Ikua ¶
Speaking in the past about the death of his wife Janet Kanini Ikua, George said, 'Everything became surreal, it's like she is still there, but she is gone.'
George admitted that small blessings have helped him, and he is tighter with the kids. However, being a single dad and father to a daughter has created major adjustments.
4. Tedd Josiah ¶
Music Producer Tedd Josiah had all his life planned out with his beautiful wife Regina Katar but fate had other plans for the couple. Regina lost her life after suffering from a rare disease Thrombocytopenia that saw her blood platelet count fall below normal after childbirth.
Speaking on her death, Tedd Josiah said, 'Imagine calling someone your everything – home, safe place, your all – and watching them slowly fade away on their deathbed in less than an hour.'
Tedd Josiah is still grieving and misses the good times he shared with Regina. He keeps her memories alive by keeping all her stuff so that he can pass them over to their daughter Jay.
5. Julianna Kanyamozi ¶
Uganda's female artiste Julianna Kanyomozi, lost her son Keron who had been admitted at Agha Khan hospital in Nairobi after a severe Asthmatic attack.
During an interview with The Nairobian, Juliana opened up on how she was dealing with her son's death, confessing that she had at one point been angry with God. However, she was taking baby steps to heal.
Juliana revealed that she has her bad days where she sits with a box of tissue and lets the tears flow. She doesn't know how long it will take her to move on, but she is taking things one day at a time.
