While Charo — the beloved pop culture icon and “Cuchi Cuchi” diva — has exuded confidence, charisma and poise for most of her life, she says her greatest attribute has come with age.
During an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the 75-year-old — who is gearing up for a string of concerts over the next month — opened up about celebrating age, finding joy after the tragic death of her husband in 2019, and embracing a new wave of fans through social media.
“You get two choices. Very simple,” the “Love Boat” alum said of welcoming the aging process. “One, despair, cry, depression, feeling terrible. Another, eh, I’m going to take a second choice because I’m going to be wiser. Nobody’s going to screw me like they did before. I’m going to learn from my mistakes. I’m going to look for new adventures. I’m going to be taking care of myself.”
CHARO DESCRIBES HOW SHE ‘HUGGED’ HER HUSBAND AFTER HIS SUICIDE: ‘I WAS FULL OF BLOOD’
“So I take the second choice. A glass of champagne, a piece of chocolate, then right away, I have it. I made it,” she continued. “I made a deal with myself and I want every woman that is listening to this interview… No matter the age. Think about it. Every year you learn something. Every year is something new. Every year you have new friends. So it’s better to be alive and clever than to be feeling stupid, crying in a corner. So I take the second choice.”
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The words of wisdom come nearly seven years after her husband, Kjell Rasten, died by suicide.
“Seven years ago, I lost my husband in a very dramatic way, and I was lost,” she said. “And I just closed my eyes and tried to understand why it happened, what happened.”
“I will never be like I was because it was a good memory,” she added, reflecting on her marriage. “Time made me grow up and understand that he died, and I cannot do anything but see his picture and pray for him. But you grow, and you go, ‘OK, God, let me live. What good can I do? Can I enjoy life?’”
WATCH: CHARO SAYS AGING MADE HER WIDER, VOWS TO NOT LET ANYONE ‘SCREW HER’ LIKE THEY DID BEFORE
During an appearance on “The Talk” in July 2019, the singer told the co-hosts she performed in Palm Springs, California, two nights before her husband’s death. He was 79.
“It was a special night and my husband was so proud,” she said, explaining that the following night he opted out of going to dinner with her and had been acting strange.
“When he went to go to sleep, he looked at me very strange, like he wanted to talk to me,” the entertainer said of the night before the incident at their Beverly Hills home.
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As the co-hosts, including Eve and Carrie Ann Inaba, grew emotional during her recollection, Charo said she “had no clues at all” that he was going to take his own life.
During one of the darkest times of her life, Charo found solace and comfort in a community she had not yet embraced — her social media followers.
“They saved me,” she said of her fans, who range in age.
During the pandemic, Charo connected with her fans through live videos and a fun, off-the-cuff cooking show.
“They became my friends,” she said. “They help me so much. They think that I help them, but it’s the other way around. They keep me alive, alert.”
“They are honest. They tell me, ‘I like you,’ or ‘I like the video mode,’ or ‘I like your dress.’ ‘You very nice.’ But they don’t attack me… I love them. I need them and they save me.”
These days, Charo is looking forward to connecting with her fans in person at her upcoming concerts.
“I like to change the show every season,” she said. “In my time, I could have the same show for six or seven months because nobody had the cellular and filming you. And then they send it to their friend and to grandparent and to everybody. So I like that. But that means that I can never repeat the same costume, the same music, the same jokes or whatever. So that stimulates me because I also have to grow.”
