Comedian and The Talk co-host Sheryl Underwood was a part of the dais for the live Netflix roast of Kevin Hart on Sunday. During the show, jokes about the 62-year-old’s husband came up, sparking questions about what happened to Michael Sparkman.
Sheryl Underwood was a part of the Kevin Hart roast on Sunday (Instagram/Sheryl Underwood)Who was Michael Sparkman?
Sheryl Underwood has spoken publicly over the years about the devastating loss of her husband, Michael Sparkman, who died by suicide in 1990 after battling severe depression during their marriage.
Underwood married Sparkman, a chef, in 1987. According to the television host, the couple struggled through difficult years as he dealt with worsening mental health issues, including a prior overdose attempt before his death.
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2016, Underwood recalled the final conversation she had with him before he died.
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“I’ll never forget it,” she told PEOPLE in 2016. “I made him a German chocolate cake that morning, and I said, ‘Drop the bills in the mailbox and I’ll see you when you get home.’ It’s the most painful thing in the world because he is not coming back.”
Sparkman died in August 1990, three years into the couple’s marriage.
Sheryl Underwood became emotional discussing Kate Spade’s death
Years later, Underwood revisited her personal tragedy while discussing the death of Kate Spade during an emotional episode of The Talk. The conversation took place after Spade’s death by suicide shocked the fashion industry and broader public. During the segment, Underwood became visibly emotional as she reflected on losing her husband.
“I’m kind of emotional about this because, as you know my husband killed himself. And you will never know. For people who think they know, you’ll never know if it’s clinical depression. You’ll never know if it’s financial stress. You’ll never know,” Underwood told her co-hosts on “The Talk.”
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She also spoke about the lingering pain left behind for surviving family members.
“And that pain does not…it doesn’t go away,” Underwood continued. “So I really hope that the family can come together for her daughter because it just doesn’t go away.”
Underwood spoke about the impact of suicide notes
During the discussion, Underwood specifically addressed the emotional toll caused by suicide notes, revealing that her husband had also left one behind.
“I’m sad for her daughter for that to be in the note because my husband left a note. And what the note does to the person who’s still alive, it shows that the person who’s no longer alive has now had the final word,” she said.
At the time, Spade’s death left behind her husband, Andy Spade, and the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, Frances Beatrix.
Andy Spade later released a statement mourning his wife’s death.
“Kate was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).