Linda Ripa-Facts About Kelly Ripa’s Sister and Her Horrific Accident

Linda Ripa is recognized as the sister of co-host of the syndicated morning talk show ‘Live! with Kelly and Mark’ Kelly Ripa. The eldest child, Linda pursued her career as a writer and published a children’s book in 2003. Before this, Ripa also was a model. 

Well, in this article, we have come up with some shocking details including Ripa’s horrific accident in 1999.

Key Takeaways

• Linda Ripa is the eldest sister of American Actress Kelly Ripa. She is two years elder than Kelly.
• Linda was born on December 3, 1968, in a catholic household in New Jersey, USA.
• She has three nationalities in total including American, Irish, and Italian.
• Rupa had a terrible car accident when her child was still in her womb.

Linda Ripa Is The Older Sister Of Kelly Ripa

Linda was born as the oldest child to her parents on December 3, 1968, in Berlin, New Jersey, the US. She grew up in a ranch-style home and a catholic household with her younger sister Kelly who is two years younger than her.

She has one-quarter Irish and three-quarters Italian ancestry.

Who Are Linda’s Parents and Grand-Parents?

Her father Joseph Ripa was a bus driver and a labor union president, while her mother Esther Ripa is a homemaker. Her dad Joseph who has been the Democratic County Clerk for Camden County, since June 2009 attended Rutgers University.

Ripa’s grandfather was Giuseppe Ripa/Joseph. He was born to Elpidio Ripa and Maria in Italy. Both of Giuseppe’s mom and dad were Italian.

On the other hand, her maternal mother was Esther A. DiPretoro, the daughter of Palmerino DiPretoro and Mary Laurogna. She was born in Pennsylvania also to Italian parents.

Therefore, Ripa has Italian roots.

What Does Linda Ripa Do?

Linda is an expressions model, a writer, and an illustrator. She published a children’s book named The Ladybug Blues in 2003. This story is based on her son, Sergio Giuseppe.

Further, the book which has a rating of 4.3 on Amazon especially published for children who were 2-4 years old.

Before this, Ripa used to work as a TV sports show. She has worked with media like ABC, New Media Productions, Philly 57, CN8, and NLP.

How Did Linda Start Her Carrer As An Artist?

In one of her interviews after her recovery, she said that it all started when she was not able to stand up from the bed and someone close to her gifted her pencils and colors remembering her interest in drawing as a child.

She said, “My nickname as a little kid was Ladybug, so I drew some”. “My little nephew, Mikey, would come in to visit and I would hold the papers up with my arms and draw for him. And I would tell stories to him and my son,” she added.

She later wrote stories to tell her about Sergio and Mikey, her nephew. Her father, mother, and sister were really impressed and said “These are great. You should publish these”. And this is how she became a well-known artist.

Kelly Ripa’s Sister Linda Is A Survivor; Her Dreadful Accident

It was in 1999 when Linda was seven months pregnant with her son, Sergio- Giuseppe. She was in her car driving around Northeast Philadelphia waiting for the traffic light to turn on when a drunk minivan driver hit her.

The accident was horrific, Linda broke multiple bones, had horrible injuries, and crashed her pelvis in such a way that crushed her unborn son’s head and lead him into a coma.

Linda’s Life After Accident

After the terrific incident, Kelly’s sister was not been able to get out of bed. In the weeks that followed, Ripa had to get surgery on her leg after the accident but refused to take anesthesia to protect her baby from any kind of harm that drugs would do. Even after the operation, the then-soon-to-be-mother didn’t take any painkillers or medication to protect her unborn.

After that, the driver who hit her was imprisoned for 6 to 24 months.

Ripa Won An $15 Million Lawsuit Against The Sergon That Did Her Operation

In early 2004, Ripa, the sister of Kelly Ripa won $15 million in lawsuit against the doctor who performed her operation. She actually filed a case against a surgeon named Menachem Meller after he failed to repair her right ankle properly, leaving it permanently deformed.

Before the trial, Ripa offered the doctor $2.4 million to settle the case but Dr. Meller denied it.

Her Parents and Sister Kelly Are Major Supporters During Her Hard Times

Throughout the surgery, Linda’s parents have always been there for her and her son, Sergio. In 2001, their daughter Kelly said,

“They are older and raising their grandchild,” &“My mother is a 24-hour-a-day nurse to my sister.”

Not only her parents but Kelly, a close friend of David Muir was also a great support to her sister. From taking care of her sister and nephew to speaking to the court on behalf of her sister, Kelly has played a great role in her sister’s recovery.

Lida Ripa’s Son Sergio Giuseppe Ripa Is A Miracle Baby

Miraculously, Sergio got out of the coma after four weeks, but not completely as the baby just responded to stimuli. And Sergio was born prematurely at 7 months on Sept 8, 1999.

Ms. Ripa said, “We don’t know how it happened, but it did and, of course, we call him Miracle Baby”.

He was born normal but had breathing problems from the trauma which got solved as Giuseppe grew up. Linda was not able to hold her baby as the author was immobilized for a year or more after her accident.

Remembering those days, the celebrity sister said New York Times “It was the worst thing you could imagine” She further said, “As much as I hurt from all the broken bones and operations, the worst thing was not really being able to hold my son for very long. Any mother would tell you that”

Today The Miracle Baby is A Musician

Sergio Giuseppe Ripa is now a musician. He plays guitar at stockphotoenthusiest. Sergio also has a band named Boatphd where there are 3 other members. He currently lives in New York and plays for varieties of occasions.

Sergio has a girlfriend named Serena and they are often found around New York, US.

Is Linda Married? Who Is Her Husband?

No, Linda is not married to a husband at present. She has always kept her relationship private. Despite being the mother of one child, Linda has not disclosed Mr. Sergio’s father.

Many assume that Rips is single now.

Net Worth

Ripa’s net worth is estimated to be $1.2 million. She gained her fortune from her early profession as a model, actress, and TV host.

Meanwhile, her sister Kelly Ripa has a net worth of $120 million. There’s a rumor of her making $22 million each year.