Lahna Turner shared a rocky relationship with Ralphie May, with very public allegations of mistreatment that have now come to light with the death of the popular but troubled comedian.
May, who made a comedy career out of his larger-than-life size and lifestyle, died on Friday after suffering cardiac arrest. As the Hollywood Reporter noted, May was in the midst of a nationwide tour but had to cancel a handful of dates in recent weeks after a bout with pneumonia.
May’s death has brought some of his struggles to light, including his tumultuous relationship with wife Lahna Turner, a fellow comedian. The two were married in 2005 but separated a decade later, and the divorce had been playing out in the public eye.
Though Turner was still legally married to Ralphie May at the time of his death, she had filed for divorce in 2015 amid some very public struggles with drug abuse for the comedian. Earlier that year, police had to escort May out of a comedy venue in Colorado after he reportedly consumed too many marijuana edibles and appeared confused and incoherent on stage, the Daily Mail noted.
The report noted that Ralphie May was so high that he struggled to make it on stage to start his performance, and he was unable to even string a sentence together once he was finally able to make it to the microphone. As the set went on, May had a hard time finishing his jokes and often lost his place, leading many in the crowd to start booing and several to demand a refund from the comedy venue.
The two had been married for 10 years when Turner filed for divorce, TMZ reported, and the couple share two children together. Turner sought sole physical custody of the children and was seeking spousal support as well.
Their divorce struggles also became fodder for celebrity news outlets. Earlier this year, TMZ reported that the divorce was “getting VERY nasty” as Ralphie filed court documents claiming his wife was keeping the children in Los Angeles and had destroyed their Ketubah.
“The Ketubah is the Jewish marriage contract, and Ralphie says she shattered the glass box that held theirs, then stabbed it repeatedly with scissors… right in front of him and their children. In the docs, he also says she ripped photos off the wall and cursed at him,” the TMZ report noted.
Turner made her own allegations, claiming that May was sexually abusive to her, had been suicidal, and was so mired in drug abuse that he could not be left alone with their children, TMZ reported.
But Lahna Turner had only good things to say about Ralphie May after his death, tweeting that they “shared a wonderful life and made beautiful children together.” She also shared a picture of the two together in some of their happier times.
I selected this photo because Ralphie looks like an angel with a halo. pic.twitter.com/vsnSIpgcIp
— Lahna Turner (@LahnaTurner) October 6, 2017
I loved Ralphie with all my heart. We shared a wonderful life and made beautiful children together.
— Lahna Turner (@LahnaTurner) October 7, 2017
A number of those making statements on the death of Ralphie May also directed their condolences to Lahna Turner, with the two sharing many common friends in the comedy world.
[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]