Australian actress and model Ellie Gonsalves has opened up about her father Rick’s tragic death to suicide when she was just 24 years old. Speaking on the Life Uncut podcast hosted by former Bachelorette stars Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley, Gonsalves detailed the last conversation she had with her father before he took his own life.
The Final Phone Call
Gonsalves, now 35, was living in Los Angeles in April 2015 when she received a gut-wrenching call from her father. He informed her of a marriage breakdown between himself and Gonsalves’ mother. “He told me that they were getting divorced and separating,” she said. After the phone call with her dad, who was just 50 years old, she went to bed. However, just hours later, she woke to a very distressing situation.
A Distressing Discovery
“I had like 16 or 20 missed calls from my sister… I’m panicking, trying to get on the phone to her, and she gets on the phone, and she’s hysterical, and she just goes, ‘Dad has taken his own life’,” Gonsalves recounted. “I start screaming.” She added, “I know why he did it, he just felt like he didn’t have an out… I don’t agree with any of that.”
Reflections and Regret
“I wish my dad stayed. I wish we could have made him feel like it was worth it,” Gonsalves said on the podcast. She also revealed that she cut her mother and siblings out of her life following the tragedy.
Support from Listeners
Listeners flooded Life Uncut’s Instagram post of Gonsalves’ interview, praising the model’s resilience and strength in the wake of losing her dad. Fitness influencer Kayla Itsines commented, “10 years later from the first time I heard this story from Ellie.. til now… I cry .. EVERY TIME.” Brittany Hockley added, “We love you, thank you for sharing the deepest parts of your story with us xx.”
Helplines
Lifeline: 13 11 14. If you or someone you know needs help, phone SANE Australia Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263). Young people seeking support can phone beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or go to headspace.org.au.
