Sheryl Underwood is known for her sharp sense of humor, television career and long-running role as a co-host on The Talk. Away from the cameras, however, she has carried a deeply personal loss for decades.
The question of who Sheryl Underwood’s husband was is closely connected to one of the most difficult chapters of her life. Underwood was married to a man named Michael, a chef, in 1987. Their marriage lasted only about three years, ending after Michael died by suicide in August 1990 following a long struggle with severe depression.
Underwood has spoken about the loss publicly over the years, including during an emotional discussion on The Talk following the death of fashion designer Kate Spade. Her comments showed that, even many years later, grief can remain a part of someone’s life in ways that are difficult to explain.
Rather than speaking only about her own pain, Underwood used her experience to encourage people struggling with mental health challenges to seek help. She also emphasized that family members and other people left behind after a suicide can need support themselves.
Who Was Sheryl Underwood’s Husband?
Sheryl Underwood’s late husband was Michael, a chef whom she married in 1987.
Unlike Underwood, who later became a well-known television personality and comedian, Michael lived largely outside the public spotlight. The information Underwood has shared about their marriage gives only a limited picture of his life, but she has made clear that he was someone she loved deeply.
Their marriage began during a very different period of Underwood’s life, long before she became a familiar face on daytime television.
The couple’s time together was also marked by Michael’s struggle with depression. Underwood later described the condition as something that had a major impact on their marriage and ultimately preceded his death.
Because Michael was not a public figure, there are relatively few details available about his personal background or career beyond Underwood’s description of him as a chef.
When Did Sheryl Underwood Get Married?
Underwood married Michael in 1987.
At the beginning of their marriage, the couple were building a life together and dealing with the ordinary responsibilities that come with being newly married. But Michael’s mental health struggles eventually became a major part of their lives.
Underwood has explained that he battled crippling depression.
The experience was extremely difficult for both of them. She later recalled that there had also been an earlier overdose attempt before his death.
The details Underwood has shared over the years make clear that the situation was not something she could simply solve for him. Depression can be complicated, and loved ones may not always understand what someone is experiencing internally.
That reality became an important part of Underwood’s later reflections.
Michael’s Struggle With Depression
Underwood has spoken candidly about her husband’s depression, particularly when discussing other high-profile deaths connected to mental health.
During a 2018 episode of The Talk, she became emotional while discussing Kate Spade’s death.
Underwood explained that her own husband had also died by suicide and said that people outside a person’s situation can never fully know what is happening internally.
She mentioned several possible pressures that can affect a person’s mental health, including clinical depression and financial stress.
Her point was not that there is always one simple explanation. Instead, she was trying to explain how difficult it can be for loved ones to understand the depth of someone’s suffering.
For Underwood, the subject was personal because she had already lived through that kind of loss herself.
The Loss That Changed Underwood’s Life
Michael died in August 1990, around three years after the couple married.
Underwood has described the loss as one of the most painful experiences of her life.
In a 2016 conversation, she recalled an ordinary morning shortly before his death. She remembered preparing a German chocolate cake for him and asking him to drop the bills in the mailbox before he returned home.
That memory has stayed with her because it represented such a normal moment before her life changed completely.
There is something especially difficult about those memories. People often remember everyday conversations, meals or small routines from the last day they spent with someone. For Underwood, that morning became permanently connected to the loss of her husband.
She has explained that the pain did not simply disappear with time.
Why Underwood Spoke About Her Husband Publicly
Underwood could have kept the loss completely private. Instead, she has occasionally chosen to talk about Michael when she believed her experience could help others.
Her comments following Kate Spade’s death were an example of that.
Rather than making the conversation only about grief, Underwood used the moment to remind people that mental health struggles can be difficult to recognize from the outside.
She also stressed that people who need help should seek it.
Just as importantly, she said that those left behind also need support.
That message has remained one of the most meaningful parts of her public discussions about her husband.
Grief Does Not Simply Go Away
One of Underwood’s strongest observations has been that the pain of losing someone does not necessarily disappear.
Time can change the way a person carries grief, but it does not erase the relationship or the memories.
For Underwood, decades passed between Michael’s death and her discussion of Kate Spade, yet the subject was still emotional.
That does not mean she remained stuck in the past. In fact, Underwood has spoken about how the experience ultimately changed her and made her stronger.
Her perspective seems to be that remembering someone can become a reason to help other people rather than simply a source of pain.
Underwood’s Message to People Struggling With Mental Health
When Underwood spoke about her husband, she repeatedly returned to the importance of getting help.
She encouraged people who are struggling to seek the support they need.
Her message also extended to friends, relatives and loved ones.
People who lose someone to suicide can experience complicated emotions, including grief, confusion, anger, guilt and unanswered questions. Underwood’s own experience has made her especially aware of the need for support among survivors.
She has encouraged people not to overlook the people who are left behind.
That part of her message is important because the effects of a suicide can reach far beyond the person who died.
Sheryl Underwood’s Career After Her Husband’s Death
Michael’s death happened before Underwood became a major television personality.
Over the years, she went on to establish herself as a comedian, actress, producer and television host.
She eventually became one of the recognizable personalities associated with The Talk, where she has often brought her humor and outspoken personality to difficult conversations.
Her career has included plenty of lighter moments, but her willingness to discuss personal subjects has also made her a relatable figure to many viewers.
The story of her husband is one example of how her public persona and private experiences sometimes meet.
She has not allowed the tragedy to become her entire identity. Instead, it has become one part of a much larger life and career.
How Michael’s Death Influenced Underwood
Underwood has said that everything she went through made her stronger.
That does not mean she believes the loss was something positive. Rather, she has found ways to turn a painful experience into something that can potentially help another person.
She has also said that while someone may never forget such a loss, remembering can be used to make things better for the next person.
That philosophy helps explain why she has been willing to discuss Michael after so many years.
Her story is not simply about losing a husband. It is also about learning how to live with grief while continuing to move forward.
Did Sheryl Underwood Remarry?
The details provided about Underwood’s husband focus on her marriage to Michael and his death in 1990. They do not establish a later marriage or provide evidence of another husband.
Because of that, it is best not to add unsupported details about her private romantic life.
What is clear from her own public comments is that Michael remained an important part of her personal history.
Even decades later, she has remembered him with emotion and spoken about the impact his death had on her.
The Connection Between Kate Spade and Underwood’s Story
Kate Spade’s death brought Underwood’s own experience back to the surface.
Spade’s death was publicly discussed in connection with mental health, and Underwood immediately recognized the painful reality of what the family and loved ones might be facing.
During the emotional conversation on The Talk, Underwood spoke from personal experience.
She expressed sympathy for Spade’s family and encouraged families to come together and seek support.
The discussion showed how grief can connect people who have never met. Underwood knew what it meant to suddenly lose someone close to her and to be left with questions that may never have complete answers.
A Personal Story That Became a Message of Hope
Underwood’s experience with Michael is ultimately a story about loss, but it is also about resilience.
She has continued to work, laugh, perform and build a successful career despite carrying a painful memory from her early adulthood.
Her willingness to speak about depression and suicide has also given her a platform to encourage conversations that can be uncomfortable but necessary.
She has repeatedly emphasized that people need to get help when they are struggling.
She has also reminded people that supporting someone with mental health problems is important, but loved ones need care too.
That message comes from experience rather than theory.
Final Thoughts on Sheryl Underwood’s Husband
Sheryl Underwood’s late husband was Michael, a chef whom she married in 1987. Their marriage lasted roughly three years before Michael died by suicide in August 1990 after struggling with severe depression.
The loss became one of the most painful experiences of Underwood’s life. Years later, she continued to speak about him and the effect his death had on her, particularly when discussing other tragedies involving mental health.
Her memories of Michael include ordinary moments that have stayed with her for decades. She has acknowledged that grief does not simply disappear, but she has also found a way to use her experience to encourage others to seek help.
For Underwood, remembering her husband is not only about looking back. It is also about trying to make something better for people facing similar struggles today.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, contact local emergency services or a qualified crisis service in your country. You do not have to handle it alone.