Jason Ritter Defends Wife Melanie Lynskey Against Body-Shaming Amid ‘Unsolicited Comments’ About Her Weight

Jun 10, 2022

It is not uncommon for children to grow up so exposed to their parents' careers that they go on to pursue the same careers — especially in Hollywood. There are many famous actors whose children also go on to become famous actors in their own right. This is the case for Jason Ritter, who is becoming just like his late father, John Ritter, in more than just looks.

Jonathan was born on Sept. 17, 1948, in Burbank, California. Part of a showbiz family, his father, was the singing cowboy, Tex Ritter, while his mother, Dorothy Fay, was an actress. Originally John didn't have plans to follow his family into the entertainment industry. However, he soon changed his career path, switching his major from psychology to Theater Arts at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.

Some of John’s most iconic roles were in “It,” “Problem Child” and “Bad Santa” in 2003 — the latter of which ended up being his last film. He also appeared in a number of television shows, including “Felicity,” “Scrubs,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and he even lent his voice on “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” for which he received numerous Emmy nominations.

Sadly John passed away from aortic dissection in 2003 while rehearsing for the show “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” just six days before his 55th birthday. He is survived by his second wife, Amy Yasbeck, and his four children: Jason, Carly, Tyler and Noah.

While John left this world too soon, his son Jason is continuing his legacy. Also an actor, Jason bears a striking similarity to his late father and is just as goofy and good-natured, often working in the comedic genre. Read on to see how Jason stood up for his wife on Twitter.

Jason was born on Feb. 17, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, to John and his first wife, Nancy Morgan, who was also an actress. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied at the Atlantic Theater Company. He is best known for his role as Kevin Girardi in the television series “Joan of Arcadia,” Ethan Haas in “The Class,” Sean Walker in the NBC series “The Event” and Mark Cyr in “Parenthood.”

Jason took an interest in acting at a young age. "When I was a kid, it was a lot of fun; I did a lot of plays in my elementary school," he said in an appearance on "Good Morning America" in 2017. "I really loved it so much," he added. Not that surprising, considering he made his first-ever appearance on the screen aged 1 on his dad's show, “Three's Company.”

In his teenage years, however, Jason had a short phase in which he became incredibly shy. "The idea of anybody looking at me doing anything was a nightmare," he admitted. 

Of course, having a father like John was certainly a positive influence in Jason's life when it came to his acting career. In 2018, Jason appeared on Larry King to talk about his father's legacy. 

"It was a funny household, I have to say," Jason said of his upbringing. "The certain drive that people like my dad have to make people laugh; it infiltrates every aspect of his life. He loved making friends laugh; he made jokes through every dinner, through every hang out time afterwards," he recalled fondly. 

Speaking of his father's passing, Jason said he didn't know his father was sick at the time. "It was a shock," he admitted.

Jason became engaged to actress Melanie Lynskey, in 2017. Well known in her own right, Lynskey has acted in movies and TV shows including “Two and a Half Men,” “Coyote Ugly,” “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Up in the Air.” The pair welcomed their first child together — a daughter — in Dec. 2018. 

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in the summer of 2020, Jason revealed that he aspired to be just like his late father when it comes to parenting. "The main thing I continue to pass down, which was a huge thing from my dad and mom (Nancy Morgan), is how they always made sure we knew we were loved," Jason said. 

In an interview with People Magazine in 2019, nearly one year after his daughter's birth, Jason called being a dad "fantastic" and said that the best part of it was: "I feel like she and I have a special connection. We sort of get in trouble together."

When asked what the hardest part of being a father was, well, that was an obvious one. He said: 

"It requires a lot of time and focus and there's certain exhaustion levels that come into play. Lack of sleep, but you know you're tired and then she goes (he mimics a cheeky smile) you got me again!"

Now 3 years old, his little girl is already showing signs that she's a true Ritter. According to Jason, his daughter is a natural when it comes to being around a camera. "We take videos of her and show her, then she'll (imitate) the sound she makes to tell us which one she wants to watch again," Jason revealed.

He added: "She's mimicking herself, which is incredible. And, there's been times we've caught her trying to recreate old videos. One of her favorites is playing with the hose, and the other day she kept forcing me to press record, then running away, laughing and coming back like she was filming it again!"

Jason and Lynskey have shown that they make a great team, and the loving husband is always there to defend his wife when needed.

In Jan. 2022, Lynskey spoke out on Twitter about the body-shaming she has experienced since the show “Yellowjackets,” on which she plays Shauna, began airing. She tweeted: “The story of my life since ‘Yellowjackets’ premiered. Most egregious are the ‘I care about her health!!’ people … you don’t see me on my Peleton! You don’t see me running through the park with my child. Skinny does not always equal healthy.”

The actress didn’t only experience this behavior online. She also had to deal with body-shaming on set. Lynskey said to Rolling Stone: “They were asking me, ‘What do you plan to do? I’m sure the producers will get you a trainer. They’d love to help you with this.’”

Jason saw the rude comments his wife was getting online and jumped to her defense. He tweeted: “If anyone has any further unsolicited comments about *anybody* else’s body, they can feel free to write them in permanent ink onto their own foreheads and swan dive directly into the sun.”

A fan joined the conversion and added: "Perfect response from you and your beautiful @melanielynskey. When will people learn to worry about their own body not someone else’s and stop the harassment and bullying going on in this world.”

Did you know Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey are married? What do you think about the rude comments Lynskey was receiving? Let us know and be sure to pass this on to your friends and loved ones.