EXCLUSIVE: Bob Saget’s widow Kelly Rizzo, 44, reveals how she overcame brutal ‘guilt’ about DATING again 18 months after his shock death – as she lays bare ‘really, really tough’ grieving process

Kelly Rizzo has revealed she is open to finding love again and is no longer wracked with guilt over the prospect – almost two years after her late husband Bob Saget died.

The 44-year-old actress was widowed on January 9, 2022, when the Full House actor died at the age of 65 after suffering a bizarre head injury in his Florida hotel room, hours after coming off stage from a stand-up show.

In an exclusive chat with DailyMail.com, Kelly revealed that although she was initially unable to move on from ‘processing’ someone else, she is now in a place where she feels comfortable with the idea of ​​being in love become.

“My first year, I couldn’t even process what that would be like,” she said. “And you get to a point where you’re like, OK, this is something I could see.

The 44-year-old actress became a widow when the Full House actor passed away in January 2022

“And what’s interesting is that there was a long period where I almost felt guilty even thinking about it.”

Kelly revealed that she would repeatedly think about how her late husband would react if she moved on, but she has since managed to overcome what ‘earthly’ Bob would think.

“You get to a point where you divorce what the earthly Bob would have looked like,” she said. ‘And he would have said, “You can’t go on! How dare you! How can you!”

“But when I hear his friends and family say, ‘No, he would want you to be happy,’ and when you get to that point, you’re at peace with that.”

Bob’s funeral took place less than a week after his death in Los Angeles, and he was buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery, near the graves of his parents and sister.

Kelly opened up about her personal journey with grief and revealed that she is doing “really great.”

“The first year was really, really hard,” she said. “And then a year goes by, after you’ve had all those firsts; like the first Christmas, the first birthday.

‘The second one is still not easy, but you are more used to it. So you say, “Oh, okay, I’ve been here before.”

Kelly felt “guilty” for a “long period of time” whenever she thought about leaving Bob

Bob’s loved ones have told Kelly that he would want her to be happy – and therefore find love again

It’s been 19 months since Bob’s sudden death – and Kelly is leaning on his friends and family for emotional support

“The second year was definitely a lot easier. It still hits you and I still feel like in an instant you can still be transported back to that moment – ​​January 9th.

“But generally you’re more used to it and you’re used to dealing with it. And overall, I feel like I’m doing really well.”

Kelly revealed that she has maintained a relationship with Bob’s daughters, Aubrey, 36, Lara, 33, and Jennifer, 30, as well as other family members — including his cousin Adam and his ex-wife Sherri Kramer, 67.

“I’m grateful that I’m still so close to his girls,” she said. “Even his ex-wife and I talk all the time, and she’s just so great, and has been such a rock through everything.”

Bob’s friends – including his Full House co-stars – have also been a beacon of support.

Kelly has signed on for Season 2 of Special Forces, which debuts on Fox on September 25

She told DailyMail.om that she broke down during a conversation about Bob with the Special Forces instructors

“I feel like I could call them anytime I needed them and they would be there,” Kelly continued.

“He always had this ongoing group text with all the Full House people and he would always say, ‘Look, Full House is real.’ To see? It is real. They really are all family. And I always feel like they are my family too.

“So I’m grateful for that, and just his other friends and his real family, you know, it’s great to have that support.”

Her comments come a week after she told DailyMail.com that she is trying not to focus on being “deprived” of time with Bob, but instead wants to look at the positives.

Kelly will appear in the upcoming second season of Special Forces alongside Dance Moms stars JoJo Siwa, 20, Jack Osbourne, 37, and Savannah Chrisley, 26.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding and the most challenging,” she said of the grueling challenge. ‘I’m very glad I did it.’

She also revealed that she became emotional over Bob’s death during an interrogation with the show’s instructors Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham, Jason Fox and Rudy Reyes.

“We ended up talking about Bob, and you know, I got emotional,” she said.

“They got emotional… and they were just very empathetic.

“And that’s what’s really interesting about this show; Even though you’re going through this simulated military selection, there are such intense moments of heart and care and love, whether it’s among the recruits or even in the DS.”