I am not a big fan of Denise Richards and her very public mudslinging with her ex, Charlie Sheen. But perhaps her lashing out has something to do with the stress she's been under while her mother battled cancer. Sadly, her mother Joni lost that battle last week and died in a Long Beach, California hospital.

During her mother's illness, Denise says didn't try to hide her grief from her children, 3-year-old Sam and Lola, 2. "Sam walked in and saw me crying about my mom," she told OK! at the time. "She wiped my tear and gave me a kiss. Then I thought, 'You know what? This is life. Mommy sometimes gets sad.' "

Ellie was about 3 when my father died and there was no hiding my grief from her, either. Of course, Denise's children won't remember their grandmother and that is the saddest thing of all. I am sorry for Denise and my heart goes out to her and her family.