‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Shares the ‘Lie I Had To Tell’ His Wife in His Final Words Before Her Death

“Dukes of Hazzard” star John Schneider admitted in a recent interview that he told a heartbreaking lie to his wife on her deathbed.

Schneider has been struggling with grief since his wife Alicia passed away on Feb. 23 after a battle with cancer. She was 53. 

Last week, while speaking with People about his last words to his wife before her passing, he admitted that he stretched the truth while they said their goodbyes. 

“I of course told her it was OK,” he told the entertainment news outlet. “‘If you’re tired, if you want to go see your grandma, you want to go see your grandpa, if you want to go, then it’s OK. You go.’ And that was all the truth.”

“But then I lied, because I said, ‘Don’t worry about me; I’ll be OK,’” he said, through tears. “That was a lie I had to tell, but she knew it. ‘OK’ is a long way away.”

Schneider added, “The last thing I said to her was, ‘I love you desperately, and I’ve got multiple sets of very long-term plans for you.’ And that’s true, because eternity’s a very long time, and I believe it. I’m counting on it.”

Schneider has kept his wife’s name and memory alive as he grieves her passing. He launched a clothing line, AliciaWear, with T-shirts and other merchandise that contain phrases his “Smile,” as he refers to her, used to say, such as “Love That,” “Go Do” and other words of encouragement. The clothing line also often showcases both Schneider and his wife’s strong Christian faith. 

Schneider still writes love letters to his wife in daily Facebook posts and is planning to release an album, “We’re Still Us,” that documents his journey of grief with music, Entertainment Weekly reported.

Schneider also got his first tattoo, one of Alicia’s thumbprint, where her thumb used to rest when they held hands, People reported.

Schneider has a different message to those who tell him “I’m sorry for your loss,” saying in a NewsNation interview last week, “I didn’t lose her; I know where she is, and I know where I’m going.”

“When I’m done here, the first person that’s going to reach out for my hand when I take my last breath will be that woman,” Schneider said.