How a tragic death cut through Selling Sunset's drama and delivered the most touching moment of the show
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: 'Selling Sunset' Season 8 featured the emotional farewell to Jason Oppenheim and Mary Fitzgerald's furry friend, Niko. The former couple honored Niko with a heartfelt tribute and a touching funeral. The latest season of the Netflix show has been packed with explosive cheating accusations, betrayal, and backstabbing. Amid all this drama, the funeral provided a much-needed escape.
Niko had been with Mary for around 18 years, having joined her life when he was just a puppy. Mary’s furry friend was there through all the ups and downs of her life. To honor Niko, Jason organized a funeral service at Mary’s home and invited his co-stars to pay their respects. The real estate agents arrived in a formal dress code, some with their dog guests. The service featured a large printout of Jason and Mary with their late pet, McDonald's food to commemorate Niko’s favorite treat, and several heartfelt eulogies. Niko died after he was diagnosed with terminal kidney failure, leaving him with only a few days or weeks. At the end of the memorial, Jason and Mary took some of Niko’s ashes and placed them under a tree in Mary’s backyard. Despite the heartfelt nature of the memorial, the service didn’t go off without a hitch, as Bre Tiesi and Emma Hernan couldn’t resist clashing. Despite the drama, the funeral remained a fitting and emotional tribute to Niko, becoming one of the most touching moments of the show.
'Selling Sunset' star Jason Oppenheim pays homage to Niko
'Selling Sunset' star Jason Oppenheim was devastated by his loss and reflected his emotions through a speech at Niko's funeral. The reality star shared, "A lot of that was because of you guys and all of the fur babies that are here today. He lived a really loving and vibrant life... I did the math this morning on how many times I've kissed Niko. It has been like 50,000 times."
Jason added, "After he passed, Mary and I came over right there and took our shoes off and our socks off. We were walking on the grass and I felt Niko beneath my feet. I felt him everywhere. I believe that Niko is all around us right now." Mary paid tribute to Niko, sharing, "He has been the best decision I've probably made besides my son. He was the best dog and he changed my life."
'Selling Sunset' stars Jason Oppenheim and Mary Fitzgerald co-parent Niko's ashes
'Selling Sunset' ex-couple Jason Oppenheim and Mary Fitzgerald shared custody of Niko during his life and have now decided to co-parent his ashes. Jason pointed out, "We are still co-parenting the ashes so we go back and forth." They will keep the ashes at their homes on alternate occasions. The exes also co-parent their dog Zelda alongside Mary's husband, Romain Bonnet.
Jason revealed on the Netflix show that they’ve placed Niko’s ashes in ink and tattooed matching paw prints on their arms. Mary admitted, "Some people think it's a little creepy, some people think it's very cool. But it is meaningful to us and he is actually a part of us now. I think it is freaking cool."
'Selling Sunset' Season 8 is available for streaming on Netflix.
