Howard Stern Banned His Best Friend Ralph Cirella From His House Before He Died

Highlights

• Ralph Cirella’s difficult attitude and behavior caused him to be banned from attending social functions at Howard Stern’s house before his death.
• Howard Stern and Ralph Cirella had a close friendship for over 35 years.
• Stern was deeply saddened by Cirella’s death and felt anger towards him for not taking care of his health.

Howard Stern took the death of his best friend, stylist, and radio show collaborator Ralph Cirella extremely hard. On December 6th, 2023, the extremely rich SiriusXM legend revealed that Cirella had passed away a day before during a “routine procedure” for cancer treatment. During a touch on-air eulogy, Stern waxed poetic about how “trustworthy” Cirella was over their three-decade long-plus relationship. But he also revealed some not-so-flattering attributes…

To fans of The Howard Stern Show, it’s no surprise that Cirella pushed Stern’s buttons. It’s part of what made him such a good guest and caller. But things became so bad between them that Cirella was banned from attending social functions at Stern’s house before he died. Here’s why…

Ralph Cirella Was Banned From Socializing With Howard Stern At His House

Howard Stern has been widely criticized for being a recluse and shutting himself off to the world. Much of this has to do with his own social awkwardness and, more importantly, germaphobia. In fact, it took his daughter Ashley’s wedding to get him back into the world after the COVID-19 pandemic. But even before the virus changed the world, Stern had lessened the time he spent with many of the cohorts he once did. Instead, Stern almost exclusively hung out with his wife Beth. But none of this is the reason why he banned Ralph Cirella from his homes.

Fans of The Howard Stern Show know that his former stylist, look-a-like, and best friend was a handful. Not only did Ralph Cirella constantly pick fights with other members of The Stern Show staff, but he also embarrassed him in public. This includes a time when he rushed out of a limo and peed in the bushes out front of a Tom Petty concert. Given the fact they looked so much alike, the paparazzi believed Howard Stern himself was publicly urinating.

• Howard Stern first met Ralph Cirella when he was on the radio on WNBC
• Ralph Cirella was in high school when he first called into The Stern Show
• Howard Stern and Ralph Cirella were friends for over 35 years

There was a time when Ralph Cirella was always in Howard Stern’s home, and not just for outfit fittings. Stylying the radio legend and the former America’s Got Talent judge was part of Cirella’s job. Therefore, he always had access to Stern’s wardrobe and was frequently at Stenr’s radio studio and his three homes. However, Cirella would also come and hang out with Stern.

• Howard Stern has three homes: An apartment in Manhattan, a mansion in The Hamptons, and a mansion in Palm Beach, Florida.

In his December 6th, 2023 on-air ecology, Stern claimed that Cirella would frequently come and watch TV with him. Cirella was also frequently included at social gatherings, including with celebrities who he later built his own friendship with.

• Ralph Cirella was good friends with John Stamos and Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon.

However, time and time again, Ralph Cirella proved to Stern that he was an extremely bad house guest.

“I’ve detailed, over the years, all of Ralph’s f*** up,”

There have been numerous stories shared on the air about how Cirella was demanding as a house guest. This includes Cirella criticizing the quality of the food and getting into arguments with other guests in Stern’s home. Cirella would frequently find ways of causing drama or even trashing Stern’s homes. This includes leaving lit cigarettes on Stern’s furniture and throwing up all over his bed sheets.

“That weekend I was ready to kill him! He was not a good house guest. Eventually, I had to ban him from my house.”

At an undisclosed point, Stern decided to ban Cirella from his house. While he was still allowed to come over to help Stern with fittings, he was disinvited from anything remotely social. Perhaps it was Stern Show producer Gary Dell’Abate who summed Ralph Cirella’s attitude up the best:

“Howard, no matter where he stayed, whether it was with you, or Sam Simon, or John Stamos, he was never grateful to be there, you were always lucky to have him as your guest.”

This attitude caused several other Stern Show staffers, including producer Jason Kaplan, to ban Ralph Cirella from their houses as well.

Howard Stern Was Gutted By Best Friend Ralph Cirella’s Tragic Death

Listeners of The Howard Stern Show could hear how emotionally gutted the radio host was when he announced the death of staffer Ralph Cirella, who passed on December 5th, 2023. While the lengthy on-air eulogy delved into some pretty comedic moments, the first part of it was truly from the heart. Stern could even be heard getting irritated at his longtime collaborator Fred Norris who played an untimely laughing sound effect during Stern’s most poignant part of the tribute.

• Ralph Cirella died at 58 years old
• Ralph Cirella had a rare lymphoma when he died
• Ralph Cirella’s heart gave out during a routine cancer treatment

“I had a horrible day yesterday,” Howard Stern said on his December 6th, 2023 show. “I don’t even know where to begin with this horrible story and how sad I am, but my dear, dear friend Ralph — Ralph, of course, who has called into the show so many times, and Ralph who has been at my side for so many years — has died. And I tell you, it’ll be difficult for me to get through this eulogy. This obituary, if you will.”

“I just have been so sad and so angry. And I think this is the toughest part of loving someone. When you lose them. And, lord knows, I loved Ralph.”

Stern went on to admit that he knew that some in his audience hated listening to Cirella’s appearances. This is because Cirella was extremely opinionated, had a chip on his shoulder, and picked vicious fights with just about everyone. But Stern claimed this was precisely what made him a “great caller” as well as why so many more audience members adored him. But Cirella’s difficult attitude was one of the reasons Stern loved him. And, over the years, they built a notable bond. So much so that Stern’s wife Beth claimed they spoke in a secret language.

The radio legend also claimed that he felt that Ralph Cirella had a “genuine affection” for him. This was in stark contrast to the numerous hangers-ons who just wanted to be close to Stenr because he was famous.

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• Howard Stern credits Ralph Cirella for introducing him to his second wife Beth Ostrosky
• Ralph Cirella is the reason Howard Stern always begins his radio program with “Hey now” due to their love of the Larry Sanders Show

“I don’t have many men that I’m super, super close with. I just don’t.”

Stern claimed that he and Cirella had a very similar sense of humor and this was the foundation of their relationship. That and the fact that Cirella was incredibly trustworthy. And this trust worked both ways. During his on-air eulogy, Stern claimed that he knew things about Cirella’s personal life and long-debated sexuality that he would take with him to the grave.

“I trusted Ralph — I would never hear from anyone, ‘Oh, Ralph told me’. Or this or that or the other thing. He was a dear, dear friend of mine. And being friends with Ralph, for me, was very challenging for me at times as I became very angry with Ralph. As I still am. I’m experiencing great sadness and great anger because, Ralph, his kryptonite was — he didn’t take care of himself. And a lot of that pressure fell on me.”

This included Ralph Cirella’s refusal to get health insurance, which Stern claimed he practically begged him to get. Stern felt burdened by the responsibility of taking care of him. In Howard Stern’s mind, the result of Cirella’s lack of self-care was his cancer diagnosis. Specifically, because he continuously left his “curable and treatable” cancer diagnosis until it was too late.

“[Ralph] had some complications of waiting too long. And I got very upset with him. I was not ready for Ralph to go. I was not expecting Ralph to die.”

Source: NewsFinale