Just over a month after her husband’s death, Charo is speaking out for the first time and thanking fans for their support.
In an emotional video posted to Instagram on Wednesday, the 68-year-old Spanish singer and actress, who rose to fame in the United States in the 1970s, thanked her fans for their support through this “very, very difficult time” and promised that she would continue to perform in her husband’s honor.
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“Hola amigos, this message is to let you know that I love you all! Thank you for your support,” she captioned the clip. “I want to tell you that life is very beautiful and we should enjoy every Single day and I look forward to sharing my days with you, my friends! Mucho amor!”
“Hola amigos, it’s been a month since my husband died. It’s very, very hard,” Charo’s video began. “I want to thank you with all my heart for your help, your prayers, your support. That keeps me going. Thank you, thank you, thank you very much.”
“I’ve been meditating all this month and I want to let you know that my husband supported my music, each performance was there applauding. So happy for me because he knew that I’m happy when I’m performing,” she continued. “In his honor, I want to share with you that I will continue for his legacy and for the love that I have for entertaining to make people happy. Thank you with all my heart, and God bless you all.”
Kjell Rasten, Charo’s husband of over 40 years, died on Feb. 18 by suicide. Paramedics and first responders had responded to the couple’s Beverly Hills home at around 2 p.m. that afternoon, and Rasten was transported to a hospital where he later died. He was 78.
Confirming his death the following day, Charo, whose real name is María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, described her husband as a man who was “dedicated his life to loving and supporting his family,” though she noted that his health had begun to decline in recent years.
“Yesterday, Kjell, My husband of 40 years and the love of my life killed himself. There are no words to describe what we are feeling now,” she said in a statement. “He was an amazing man, a great husband and the best father I could imagine to our son. He dedicated his life to loving and supporting his family.”
“In recent years, his health began to decline and he developed a rare and horrible skin disease called Bullous Pemphigoid. He also became very depressed,” it continued. “That, along with the many medications he needed to take, became too much for him, and he ended his suffering.”
Charo concluded her statement by urging those suffering from depression or illness to seek help, stating “suicide is not the answer.”
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
