Who is Cristina Bertolli's father? 'sMothered' star pays tribute while celebrating mom Kathy Crispino's 65th birthday
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Cristina Bertolli delivers a heartfelt eulogy at mother Kathy Crispino's funeral-themed birthday in a new episode of 'sMothered' Season 5. Cristina also broke down in a TLC preview clip from the Tuesday, February 6 episode, which honors her late father, Joseph Michael Crispino.
Cristina was born to her parents Joseph and Kathy. Her father was born on March 3, 1943, to his parents Lena and Charles Crispino.
Cristina gives an emotional eulogy at Kathy's birthday party/funeral. See the emotional speech on a new #sMothered Tuesday at 10/9c. pic.twitter.com/Ob85BmWk4M
— TLC Network (@TLC) February 5, 2024
Sadly, Joseph died on September 8, 2019, at the age of 76. Besides Cristina, Joseph is survived by his daughter Carly Crispino, and his son Paul Vossel. He was also survived by his brother, Teri Crispino.
Carly has made appearances on the show, while Paul graduated from the police academy in 2015.
'sMothered' star Cristina regrets unresolved relationship with father before death
In the preview clip for Tuesday's episode, Cristina gives an emotional eulogy at Kathy's funeral-themed birthday. She said, "Those of you who knew my mom understand nothing about her life was normal."
Dubbing her mother, 'Da Vinci of Party Planners,' Cristina eventually breaks down. As Kathy begins to shed a tear or two on hearing her eulogy, Cristina's sister, Carly, reminds the two that she is 'alive.'
Cristina revealed in her confessional that she had finally understood the reason behind her mother's insistence on having her deliver a eulogy. She expressed, "I lost my dad and, I never said things I wanted to say."
Fighting back her tears, she continued, "With my mom, I knew this was a chance to tell her. I didn't want to have those regrets." While pointing to the camera, she advised the people sitting on the opposite side of the screen, "Do not make the mistake and wait."
She urged people not to wait around to fix things before it's too late. With not much context, fans can only presume that she regrets not being able to mend things with Joseph.
Cristina was initially hesitant with the idea of Kathy's birthday party/funeral
Kathy and Cristina enjoy planning events together. "We probably plan between 10 to 15 parties a year," Cristina revealed in the Season 5 premiere.
It's not entirely unexpected that Cristina would have specific ideas for the kind of celebration she envisions for her mother with she dies. She shared with Kathy her desire to decorate the funeral house in the colors of every holiday.
Kathy, suffering from morbid FOMO, decided to throw herself a 'living funeral birthday party.'
Cristina felt uneasy with the thought of discussing Kathy's funeral as a joke. She couldn't find humor even when Kathy suggested her 'popping out of a coffin.'
Is Kathy from 'sMothered' Season 5 OK?
Cristina and Kathy share an extremely close relationship. So when Kathy began acting suspiciously and arranging a funeral-themed birthday party, Cristina couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
In the following episode, Cristina finally confronts her mother about her concerns. Initially, Kathy attempts to avoid the subject.
However, she eventually opens up and confesses. "Ok, I went to the doctor," she explained. "It’s not a horrible thing. I found out that I have diabetes. So I have to watch what I eat."
Cristina was taken aback and shocked upon hearing the news of her mother's health issues. Kathy's reaction was precisely the reason why she chose to keep her diabetes diagnosis hidden, she admitted in a confessional.
'sMothered' Season 5 airs on TLC every Tuesday at 10 pm ET.