Ricki Lake Revealed Why Witnessing 9/11 Made Her Quit Her Legendary Talk Show
Ricki Lake is opening up about why she quit her iconic daytime talk show.
Lake, 57, rose to fame at just 20 years old in the role of Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray. However, it was her beloved '90s daytime talk show, Ricki Lake, that made her a household name. But in a new podcast interview with fellow talk show alum Maury Povich, Lake revealed the devastating reason she chose to pull the plug on her talk show.
During an appearance on Povich's podcast, On Par with Maury Povich, Lake opened up about how she witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center from the roof of her New York City apartment building.
"I could have done it for probably a decade longer," Lake explained. "I made that choice. 9/11 was a huge trajectory shift in my life. Every aspect of my life changed from witnessing that experience that day from my West Village apartment."
"I was so freaked out watching that plane fly down the Hudson and hit that building. I had a 2 month old and a 4 year old. So I was a lactating new mother protecting my cubs, you know? I mean, I just felt like the world was coming to an end that day. And I said to myself - I had an epiphany on the roof of my building as I watched it all unfold - that I would leave New York," she said.
Lake realized she wanted to move on from her talk show and her marriage.
"I would leave my job and I would ultimately leave my marriage. And it took a lot of planning. It took a couple years to finish my contract. I couldn't [immediately] walk away from my show, but I knew I wasn't going to renew beyond the term that I had agreed to," she continued.
Check out more from Lake's interview below:
Lake's Lookalike Son Milo Recently Turned 29
While Lake's children were just babies in 2001, they're all grown up these days. Her firstborn son, Milo, recently turned 29, and Lake shared a sweet photo of the two with Milo towering over his mom.
"My firstborn son, Milo is 29 today! 👏👏👏👏❤️ I am endlessly proud of him and the life he has chosen for himself. Seeing him happy and thriving is truly one of my greatest joys.
Happy Birthday Milo! I love you. ❤️," Lake captioned the photo.
Related: Ricki Lake's Lookalike Son Towers Over His Mom as She Wishes Him a Happy 29th Birthday
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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 9:21 PM.