Media personality Ciru Muriuki has opened up about the physical toll grief took on her, revealing that she developed cardiac complications following the loss of the love of her life, famous actor Charlie Ouda, in 2024.
In a heartfelt and candid revelation, Ciru shared in a video posted on her Instagram account on Friday, April 25, 2025, how grief affected not only her emotional state but also her physical health.
Ciru explained that grief manifested physically, disclosing that she developed a heart arrhythmia last year. The condition, known for causing irregular heartbeats, was a result of the overwhelming sorrow she experienced after the death of Charlie.
“I lost my father; he died in 2020, the most important person in my life, and last year I lost the love of my life, and the one thing I wish someone would have told me about grief is that grief is also a physical thing; it affects your body,” she revealed.
“This is something I found out first when I lost my father and when we lost Charlie last year. Last year, I actually developed a cardiac issue; I had a heart arrhythmia because of grief.”
Ciru further explained that grief is a physical experience, manifesting in symptoms like weight loss and brain fog, and reassured others that such reactions are normal as the body adjusts to a painful reality.
“Grief is a physical thing, so when you experience things like weight loss or brain fog, like you are forgetting basic things that you know, I want you to know that this is normal, it is your body physically struggling to adjust to a new horrifying reality,”she added.
The popular media personality went on to offer advice to others who may be going through a similar experience, urging them to be patient with themselves and seek therapy, sharing that therapy has been a lifesaver for her.
“So if you are going through grief, please be patient with yourself, and if you can, please go for therapy. Therapy has saved my life,” she urged.
Ciru, Ouda’s love story
Ciru Muriuki delivered a tribute to Ouda, at a memorial vigil on February 14, 2024, held at the Baraza Media Lab.
Muriuki shared how she first noticed Charlie years ago when he was still a student at St Mary’s High School. She described being captivated by his smile and stage presence, never imagining that they would later fall in love.
Their relationship began after Muriuki returned to Kenya from the US, initially as “friends with benefits” before evolving into something deeper.
Muriuki expressed that in her entire life, she had never been loved as deeply as Charli loved her.
“Let me tell you guys, I am almost 42 years old and I have never been loved like that. It wasn’t about the grand gestures; it was about the comfort, the easy intimacy, that wonderfully silly friendship between us,” she said.
She also recalled the beautiful moment Charli proposed to her while they were on his couch.
“The night he asked me to marry him, we were on his couch and he was wearing torn leggings and one of his T-shirts and he got down on one knee and I cried, and to date, that is the most beautiful night of my life,” she shared.
Ouda’s death
Ouda passed away on the night of Saturday, February 3, 2024, leaving behind a legacy as a beloved actor and a bright presence in the entertainment industry.
A requiem mass was held for the late actor at All Saints Cathedral on Thursday, February 15, 2024. Afterwards, his body was taken to Karikor Crematorium for the final rites.
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