John Ritter had four children: Jason, Carly and Tyler with his first wife, Nancy Morgan, and a youngest child with Amy Yasbeck, born on September 11, 1998. Jason and Tyler followed their father into acting, while Carly built a public career as a country and folk singer-songwriter. The youngest family member has largely stayed out of the spotlight.
There is one important naming clarification. Older reports, including a 2002 interview in which Ritter discussed his family, identified the youngest child as Stella. Current materials from The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health use the name Noah Ritter. The available record indicates that Stella and Noah refer to the same youngest member of John Ritter’s family—not two different children. This article uses Noah when discussing the current family identification and Stella when describing older reporting.
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The short answer: John Ritter had four children
John Ritter’s children, in birth order, are:
| Child | Birth date | Mother | Publicly documented work or status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Ritter | February 17, 1980 | Nancy Morgan | Actor, Emmy-nominated for Parenthood; associated with CBS’s Matlock reboot |
| Carly Ritter | March 1, 1982 | Nancy Morgan | Country and folk singer-songwriter; released the album Carly Ritter in 2013 |
| Tyler Ritter | January 31, 1985 | Nancy Morgan | Actor known for The McCarthys, Arrow, NCIS and other television roles |
| Noah Ritter identified as Stella in older reports |
September 11, 1998 | Amy Yasbeck | Maintains a comparatively private public profile; current Foundation materials use the name Noah |
Ritter married Nancy Morgan in 1977, and they had Jason, Carly and Tyler. The couple divorced in 1996. Ritter and actor Amy Yasbeck had their youngest child in 1998 and married on September 18, 1999. The family structure and birth information are also summarized in Parade’s overview of Ritter’s children.
Because the children’s ages change, birth dates are more useful than undated age claims. As of August 10, 2026, Jason is 46, Carly is 44, Tyler is 41 and Noah is 27.
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John Ritter’s family timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1977 | John Ritter married Nancy Morgan. |
| February 17, 1980 | Jason Ritter was born. |
| March 1, 1982 | Carly Ritter was born. |
| January 31, 1985 | Tyler Ritter was born. |
| 1996 | Ritter and Morgan divorced. |
| September 11, 1998 | Ritter and Amy Yasbeck’s youngest child was born. |
| September 18, 1999 | Ritter and Yasbeck married. |
| December 1, 2002 | The Washington Post published an interview in which Ritter referred to his four-year-old youngest child as Stella. |
| September 11, 2003 | John Ritter died at age 54 from an acute type A thoracic aortic dissection while working on 8 Simple Rules. |
| 2008 | Ritter’s family pursued a wrongful-death case. A jury cleared the remaining doctors of negligence, while earlier settlements with other defendants were reported to have totaled more than $14 million. |
| 2013 | Carly Ritter released her self-titled country/folk album through Vanguard Records. |
| 2014 | An unrelated Pennsylvania boy named Noah Ritter became known as the viral “Apparently Kid.” |
| 2025 | The John Ritter Foundation documented a fundraising Celebrity Family Feud appearance involving Jason, Tyler, Noah and Amy Yasbeck. |
Who are the mothers of John Ritter’s children?
Nancy Morgan: mother of Jason, Carly and Tyler
Actress Nancy Morgan was John Ritter’s first wife. They married in 1977 and had three children: Jason, Carly and Tyler. By the time Ritter spoke with the Washington Post in 2002, the three older children were pursuing different interests. Ritter described Jason as an actor, Carly as a college student in Scotland and Tyler as a high-school baseball player. The interview provides a useful contemporaneous snapshot of the family before Ritter’s death.
Morgan and Ritter divorced in 1996. Their three children remained connected to both parents, and each eventually developed a different relationship with the entertainment world: Jason and Tyler became actors, while Carly pursued music.
Amy Yasbeck: mother of the youngest child
Amy Yasbeck, an actor who worked with Ritter, is the mother of his youngest child. The child was born in September 1998, and Yasbeck and Ritter married the following year.
After Ritter’s death, Yasbeck founded The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. The organization promotes awareness of aortic disease and the warning signs of aortic dissection, the condition that killed Ritter.
Jason Ritter
Jason Ritter is John Ritter’s eldest child and the first of his three children with Nancy Morgan. He was born on February 17, 1980, and pursued acting through formal theater training at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Atlantic Theater Company.
One of Jason’s early screen appearances was in The Dreamer of Oz: The L. Frank Baum Story. His later credits include Joan of Arcadia, Parenthood, Gravity Falls, A Million Little Things and Raising Dion. His work has included live-action television, film, theater and voice acting, rather than only the sitcom-style comedy associated with his father.
Jason received a 2012 Primetime Emmy nomination for his performance as Mark Cyr on Parenthood. The Television Academy’s biography documents both the nomination and his broader career.
As of August 10, 2026, Jason is associated with CBS’s Matlock reboot. The official CBS Studios/Paramount press biography lists him among the show’s talent. Because television casts and series status can change, current viewers should treat that as a date-specific update rather than a permanent description of his career.
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Jason Ritter’s family
Jason married actor Melanie Lynskey in 2020. They have one daughter, but the child’s name has not been publicly disclosed in reputable coverage. Jason and Lynskey have kept her identity out of the public spotlight, and there is no reason to fill that gap with names circulated by gossip sites or scraped databases. The Independent has reported on the couple’s approach to their daughter’s privacy.
Jason is the Ritter child most visibly associated with his father’s acting legacy, but describing him only as John Ritter’s son misses the substance of his career. His Emmy recognition, theater background, animation work and long list of television roles show a professional path broader than family resemblance or inherited fame.
Carly Ritter
Carly Ritter, born March 1, 1982, is John Ritter and Nancy Morgan’s only daughter among their three children. She attended Vassar College and chose music rather than acting as her primary public career.
In 2013, Carly released the self-titled album Carly Ritter through Vanguard Records. The record is generally described as country and folk, with a California influence. Her documented musical influences include Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell. Apple Music’s artist listing provides the album and style information.
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Carly’s career is an important reminder that John Ritter’s children did not all become actors. Her album is the clearest public example of a sibling pursuing songwriting and recorded music instead of television or film.
The strongest available sources establish Carly’s 2013 release, but they do not establish a current touring schedule, new recording project or regular performance career. Claims that she is actively touring or releasing music should therefore be checked against a current first-party announcement before being presented as a “today” update.
Tyler Ritter
Tyler Ritter, born January 31, 1985, is John Ritter and Nancy Morgan’s younger son. He was 18 and beginning college when his father died in 2003.
Tyler studied psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and spent several years teaching English in Argentina before returning to acting. That path was not an immediate jump into Hollywood. His education, time abroad and initial hesitation about acting provide a more nuanced picture than the simple description of him as another actor in the family.
Tyler became widely known for playing Ronny McCarthy on the CBS comedy The McCarthys. He later appeared in television projects including Arrow, NCIS and Hot in Cleveland. His basic career chronology is summarized by TV Insider.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Tyler discussed both the loss of his father and the difficulty of finding his own way into acting. He has spoken about grief as something that continues to change and about wishing he could have called John after landing important acting roles. Those comments show how professional milestones could also reopen the absence of the parent whose career had shaped the family’s public identity.
Why do some sources call the youngest child Stella and others call the child Noah?
In brief: Older contemporaneous coverage used Stella; current John Ritter Foundation materials use Noah. The sources appear to refer to the same youngest member of the family.
The naming discrepancy is real, but it should not be presented as a scandal or an invitation to speculate about someone who has maintained a relatively private life.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- December 2002: In a Washington Post interview, John Ritter referred to his four-year-old youngest child as “Stella.”
- 2008: The Los Angeles Times referred to Ritter’s daughter Stella and reported that Ritter died on her fifth birthday.
- Current Foundation materials: The John Ritter Foundation’s biography lists John’s four children as Jason, Tyler, Carly and Noah.
- 2025: The Foundation’s annual report identifies Noah as part of the family team appearing with Jason, Tyler and Amy Yasbeck in a fundraising Celebrity Family Feud program.
The matching parents, birth date and position as the youngest child strongly indicate that the older references to Stella and the current references to Noah concern one person, not a fifth child. However, the public sources reviewed here do not establish when or why the name changed, whether there was a legal name change, or any medical or personal history. Those details should not be inferred from databases or social-media claims.
For current identification, it is most respectful and accurate to use Noah, the name used by the family’s current foundation materials. When discussing the historical articles, it is appropriate to say that those reports used Stella. “Youngest child” is the clearest neutral description when explaining the record across different periods.
Is Noah Ritter the viral “Apparently Kid”?
No. They are unrelated people.
The Noah Ritter who became known online as the “Apparently Kid” was a five-year-old boy from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, who was visiting the Wayne County Fair with his grandfather in 2014. ABC News identified him as an only child in its coverage of the viral television interview.
John Ritter had already died in 2003, eleven years before the Pennsylvania child’s viral appearance. Search results can combine the two because they share the name Noah Ritter, but the viral child is not John Ritter’s family member.
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What happened to John Ritter’s children after his death?
The four children followed different paths:
- Jason continued acting and developed a substantial television, theater and voice-acting career, including his Emmy-nominated work on Parenthood and his later association with Matlock.
- Carly pursued music and released the country/folk album Carly Ritter in 2013.
- Tyler initially pursued psychology and teaching in Argentina before returning to acting and appearing in several television series.
- Noah has maintained a more private public life. Current Foundation materials document family participation but do not provide a reliable basis for describing a current occupation.
The family’s shared public work also includes aortic-dissection awareness. Yasbeck established the John Ritter Foundation after Ritter died, and the Foundation’s current biography says all four children have worked alongside her and the organization. That does not necessarily mean that all four hold formal staff or leadership positions.
The Foundation’s 2025 annual report specifically documents Jason, Tyler and Noah joining Yasbeck for a fundraising Celebrity Family Feud appearance. The family’s connection to the cause has also been discussed in ABC’s 2021 Superstar: John Ritter documentary, which included family interviews; ABC’s announcement describes the program as a look at Ritter’s life and career. ABC News press materials provide details about that documentary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.John Ritter’s death and the family’s advocacy
John Ritter died on September 11, 2003, at age 54, while he was working on the television series 8 Simple Rules. The John Ritter Foundation says the cause was an acute type A thoracic aortic dissection, a tear in the aorta that requires urgent recognition and treatment. The Foundation’s account of Ritter’s death and legacy explains why aortic health became central to the family’s later advocacy.
Ritter’s widow and children later pursued a wrongful-death lawsuit. The legal outcome needs to be described precisely: a jury in March 2008 cleared the remaining doctors of negligence. Earlier settlements with other defendants were reportedly worth more than $14 million, but it is inaccurate to say that the family won the trial against the doctors. The Los Angeles Times reported the jury outcome, while its earlier coverage discussed the medical circumstances and reported settlements.
Ritter’s death occurred on the fifth birthday of the youngest child, who was called Stella in contemporaneous reporting. That detail is part of the documented family timeline, but it is best presented factually rather than used as a sensationalized hook.
Frequently asked questions
How many children did John Ritter have?
John Ritter had four children: Jason, Carly, Tyler and a youngest child currently identified by The John Ritter Foundation as Noah.
Who was John Ritter’s first wife?
John Ritter’s first wife was actress Nancy Morgan. They married in 1977, had Jason, Carly and Tyler, and divorced in 1996.
Who is Jason Ritter’s mother?
Jason Ritter’s mother is Nancy Morgan. Jason is John Ritter’s eldest child, born in 1980.
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Is Carly Ritter an actress?
Carly Ritter is best known publicly as a country and folk singer-songwriter, not as an actress. She released the album Carly Ritter through Vanguard Records in 2013.
What shows has Tyler Ritter appeared in?
Tyler Ritter starred as Ronny McCarthy on The McCarthys and has appeared in programs including Arrow, NCIS and Hot in Cleveland.
Was John Ritter’s youngest child named Stella or Noah?
Older reports used the name Stella, while current John Ritter Foundation materials use Noah. The available family details indicate that both names refer to the same youngest child. Public sources do not establish the private history behind the change.
Is Noah Ritter the “Apparently Kid”?
No. The “Apparently Kid” was a different Pennsylvania child who became known from a viral interview at the Wayne County Fair in 2014.
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- Dolly Parton
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- John Ritter
Did John Ritter die on his child’s birthday?
Yes. John Ritter died on September 11, 2003, the fifth birthday of his youngest child. Contemporaneous coverage used the name Stella for that child.
What did John Ritter’s children do after his death?
Jason continued his acting career, Carly pursued music, Tyler eventually returned to acting after studying psychology and teaching in Argentina, and Noah has maintained a comparatively private life. Members of the family have also participated in the work of The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many children did John Ritter have?
John Ritter had four children: Jason, Carly, Tyler and a youngest child currently identified by The John Ritter Foundation as Noah.
Who was John Ritter’s first wife?
John Ritter’s first wife was actress Nancy Morgan. They married in 1977, had Jason, Carly and Tyler, and divorced in 1996.
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Who is Jason Ritter’s mother?
Jason Ritter’s mother is Nancy Morgan. Jason is John Ritter’s eldest child, born in 1980.
Is Carly Ritter an actress?
Carly Ritter is best known publicly as a country and folk singer-songwriter, not as an actress. She released the album Carly Ritter through Vanguard Records in 2013.
What shows has Tyler Ritter appeared in?
Tyler Ritter starred as Ronny McCarthy on The McCarthys and has appeared in programs including Arrow, NCIS and Hot in Cleveland.
Was John Ritter’s youngest child named Stella or Noah?
Older reports used the name Stella, while current John Ritter Foundation materials use Noah. The available family details indicate that both names refer to the same youngest child. Public sources do not establish the private history behind the change.
Is Noah Ritter the Apparently Kid?
No. The Apparently Kid was a different Pennsylvania child who became known from a viral interview at the Wayne County Fair in 2014.
Did John Ritter die on his child’s birthday?
Yes. John Ritter died on September 11, 2003, the fifth birthday of his youngest child. Contemporaneous coverage used the name Stella for that child.
What did John Ritter’s children do after his death?
Jason continued his acting career, Carly pursued music, Tyler eventually returned to acting after studying psychology and teaching in Argentina, and Noah has maintained a comparatively private life. Members of the family have also participated in the work of The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health.
The Bottom Line
John Ritter had four children: Jason, Carly and Tyler with Nancy Morgan, plus a youngest child with Amy Yasbeck. Jason and Tyler became actors, Carly became a singer-songwriter, and the youngest family member is currently identified by The John Ritter Foundation as Noah. Older reports called that same person Stella. Noah is not the Pennsylvania child known as the viral “Apparently Kid.”
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