Ricki Lake Became Homeless After Finding Fame In Hollywood In Her 20s

American television talk show host and actress Ricki Lake said that she was homeless after her successful movie in her 20s. Even though the actress had a positive experience when she initially rose to fame at the age of 18, she nevertheless found herself without a place to live after Hairspray brought her immense fame.

When speaking about the negative aspects of acting, Lake explained that she experienced such only when her career stopped in her early 20s when she did not get the big role that she wanted. During an appearance on I Choose Me with Jennie Garth, the actress claimed that not landing the gig made her “utterly devastated.”

What Happened to Ricki Lake?

After failing to land the role she wanted and having to give up her house, Ricki Lake’s early success took a bad turn. She admitted that despite earning a great income in the past, she eventually lost everything and briefly lived on the streets. The actress disclosed that the amount she lost at the time ranged from $200,000 to $300,000.

On the contrary, Lake felt glad to have gone through this humble experience. “It taught me so much about the value of a dollar,” she revealed. “ And thankfully, I didn’t have a family to support at that time.” Not too long after, the actress embarked on a crash crazy diet, and shed one hundred pounds after realizing that it was one of the reasons she was not getting movie roles anymore.

Lake claimed that when the novelty of portraying the overweight girl had faded, she was determined to manage her weight and this ushered in a new era as she began her talk show, which lifted her out of the poverty she had experienced.

What did Ricki Lake do to lose weight?

Ricki Lake declined to go on with the Ozempic prescription medication, claiming that the doctor was pushing it on people who were overweight. She shared this during her appearance on an episode of Good Morning America. Then, she opted for another weight loss program to prove to the doctor that she could succeed in losing weight without the medication. “This is the best I have ever felt,” she shared.

Lake stated that she was blissfully happy with her partner in her new marriage, yet she knew that if she had to identify something that was not working in their lives, “it would be the excess weight we were carrying.” The television talk show host stated that she began her weight-loss journey again in the fall of 2023, together with her husband, Ross Burningham. And as a result of her lifestyle adjustment, she is in the greatest form of her life.