Andy Richter Says People Used His Divorce to Be Mean to Him Online
Andy Richter is one of those celebs who is usually candid about his personal life, both on his television program and on social media.
The actor/comedian is perhaps best known as Conan O'Brien's sidekick and has appeared on all his shows, including Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS.
While many followers commend him for his honesty and transparency, being in the public glare all the time comes with a few inconveniences.
His Divorce Has Been Used to Humiliate Him Online
In an April 2020 interview with Uproxx, he shared how harsh people could be online. They would comment on his private affairs including his divorce which he found perplexing.
I went through a divorce and there are people online — (expletive) posters — who basically use that as, Oh, here’s a new thing to be mean to him about.
The comedian elaborated that the dissolution of his family was the worst thing he ever had to go through.
The social media users, on the other hand, yelled at him because they didn't like who he voted for in the presidential election.
According to him, he is not ashamed of being a genuine person who has emotions, struggles, and sorrow in life.
“And in many ways, the reason I say it out loud is so it doesn’t seem like a dirty little secret,” Richter added.
The actor also confessed that he had made a couple of jokes on Twitter after his divorce such as “now I’m a divorced dad living alone.”
But soon realized it wasn't humorous and thought his kids would not find it amusing. As a result, he deleted them.
Richter and His Wife Sarah Thyre Divorced after 27 Years of Togetherness
Richter and his ex-wife Sarah Thyre announced their separation in April 2019 and the divorce was finalized in August of the same year.
The comedian and his former partner were together for over 27 years before they went separate ways. Richter and Thyre married in 1996 and have two kids: William, 20, and Mercy, 15.
Both of them issued separate messages on Twitter in April 2019, explaining why they had parted ways.
"It is with sadness that Sarah and I announce that we have separated and have begun divorce proceedings," Richter tweeted.
He further noted they were tremendously pleased with the life they made together. Richter continued that despite ending their marriage, they would always have a loving relationship and a parenting partnership.
Richter later tweeted to express his gratitude for the amount of love and support he'd received since the revelation. He also replied to a tweet about divorce being "awful," saying, "It is, but we're doing ok."
The amount of love and support that you all have shown is truly a gift and so so meaningful to me. I feel very loved. Thank you. — Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) April 14, 2019
Meanwhile, the actress penned:
“We’ve shared a wonderful 27+ years and have 2 fabulous kids whom we love and will continue to parent together. Thanks to our friends and family for their support. Looking forward to the next chapter…”
The couple initially met on the sets of The Real Live Brady Bunch in 1991 and have since featured together on different programs like Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade.
How Did their Kids Handle Their Divorce?
In the same interaction with Uproxx, when asked about the children's reaction to the divorce, he responded that it was pretty good and everyone was doing well.
Richter continued that there was always a great deal of communication among them. He described his children as truly amazing and emotionally mature individuals.
Moreover, he noted that the kids were encouraged to talk about it.
Sharing about his childhood life, he mentioned that not being able to share some things was a source of irritation for him as a child.
Hence it was very important for him to find the right balance with his kids.