It was reported on Thursday that Goodfellas star Ray Liotta had passed away in his sleep on Thursday. The acclaimed actor’s unexpected death occurred while the 67-year-old was on location filming a new movie.
As fans know, Ray was in the middle of a career resurgence . Following the success of the Martin Scorsese crime classic, the Goodfellas star gained international recognition.
Friends and fans have taken to social media to remember the legendary actor.
“Deadline” reported on Thursday that actor Ray Liotta died unexpectedly in his sleep while on location in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting his latest film “Dangerous Waters.”
The actor leaves behind one daughter, 23-year-old Karsen, who he shares with ex-wife Michelle Grace, and his bride-to-be, Jacy Nittolo.
“People” magazine reports that police do not suspect foul play and that Jacy was on location with her fiancé at the time of his death.
The former hairstylist is a mom of four biological children but clearly viewed Karsen as one of her own, having all five of the children’s names in her Instagram bio.
As aforementioned, Ray was previously married to producer and actress Michelle Grace.
The power couple worked on many projects together , including The Rat Pack , Narc , and Take The Lead.
After their 7-year union ended amicably in 2004, Ray had only kind things to say about his ex.
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Speaking to “The Guardian” Ray said: “She’s a great woman, and thank God we’re still friends.”
“She still stays over at the house so that Karsen can see us together. You want to give her as much semblance of a family unit as you can when you’re separated or divorced.”
In 2007, Ray admitted it was not easy to enter the dating scene again after divorce.
“I had a relationship after I got divorced and it didn’t feel as equal as I would have liked. I was more vulnerable based on the experience I’d just been through,” he told The Guardian at the time.
“It’s been a few years now … Dating, I haven’t really gotten into that at all.”
“I’ve only had one or two dates in the past couple of years. It’s either going to happen, or not. I’m hoping that it is,” he added.
Thankfully, Ray did end up finding true love.
In December 2020, Ray announced his engagement to girlfriend Jacy Nittolo.
“Christmas wishes do come true,” he captioned a sweet picture of the couple by their Christmas tree . “I asked the love of my life to marry me, and thank God she said yes!!!”
Back in September, the “Goodfellas” actor revealed he was set up with Jacy by his daughter.
While chatting on Live with Kelly and Ryan , Ray explained that his daughter Karsen and Jacy’s son, who are around the same age, met at a party one night.
Karsen ended up chatting with Jacy and eventually told her to go on a date with her dad. At first, Ray explained that the mom of four wanted “nothing to do with” the actor “whatsoever.”
Laughing as he recalled the story, he said that when Jacy found out Ray’s name, she said, “‘Wait a second though, isn’t he, like, in his 60s? I’m in my 40s.'”
“But the buzz-kill for me was she also had a 10-year-old. When you’re in your 60s, the last thing that you want is a 10-year-old. Luckily this kid is very cool!”
Despite the age gap, it’s clear Jacy and Ray built their relationship on common interests and mutual adoration.
We’re thinking of Ray’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.
