James Ransone’s Wife on Raising Kids Alone: ‘It Takes a Village’

Five months after losing her husband, Jamie McPhee is finding her footing — one birthday at a time.

The wife of the late James Ransone took to Instagram on Tuesday to celebrate their son Jack turning 7, sharing a carousel of photos that included tender family moments with the actor who is so deeply missed. Many of the images showed Ransone — beloved for his roles on The Wire and as adult Eddie Kaspbrak in It: Chapter Two — hugging his children on a beach, holding one of them up on his shoulder with a grin, the kind of dad-in-his-element shots that hit differently now.

“Baby king Jack is 7 today. 😭 I can’t believe it,” McPhee wrote. “The most handsome, stubborn, funny, affectionate, strong boy and we wouldn’t want it any other way. Love you to the moon and back! Hit the last slide to see his first lost tooth. 🦷”

She also slipped in something more — a quiet, honest acknowledgment of what the last five months have actually looked like.

“To all of our friends and family — it takes a village indeed. We love everyone so much,” she wrote. “Thank you for all your support, love, kindness, food, tears, and laughs these last 5 months. I can finally see that every day is a gift so on this one we celebrate Jack together. Thank you thank you thank you.”

In the comments, actress Natasha Lyonne dropped a simple “Hbd Jack 💗,” and It producer Barbara Muschietti wrote “Massive” — a small but telling sign of the community that has rallied around this family.

A Love Story Cut Short

James Ransone died by suicide on December 19, 2025, in Los Angeles. He was 46. He and McPhee — known to close friends as Skipper — had married in September 2017 and built a life together that, by all accounts, centered entirely on their kids. Along with Jack, they share daughter Violet, who is now 4.

McPhee had publicly called Ransone a “rad dad” over the years, and in a June 2022 birthday tribute, she wrote: “Happy Birthday to the greatest dad of all time, my bold and brilliant husband PJ.” She added that she hoped their children would “inherit his bravery.” Reading that now carries a weight she couldn’t have anticipated then.

Just two days after his death, McPhee broke her silence on Instagram with words that were equal parts grief and devotion. “I told you I have loved you 1000 times before and I know I will love you again,” she wrote. “You told me — I need to be more like you and you need to be more like me — and you were so right. Thank you for giving me the greatest gifts — you, Jack and Violet. We are forever.”

Days later, she wrote again — this time about something unexpected emerging from the darkness. “The outpouring of love for you is truly beyond anything you could ever imagine,” she shared. “This devastating loss has also given so many an unbelievable gift. I have been told countless stories of people reconnecting. Of friendships healing after years of silence. Of truths finally being spoken. Of old pain being brought into the light and somehow… softening. Sometimes almost instantly.”

On Valentine’s Day, she posted again, adding quietly: “You are deeply missed and by far more people than you could ever even know.”

A Community Showing Up

Friends and family set up a GoFundMe to support McPhee and the children as they rebuild their lives. “Its purpose is simple: to give Jamie the space to focus fully on Jack and Violet, to care for them, protect their sense of security, and ensure they have a bright future — even without James’s light present in their everyday lives,” the listing reads.

The campaign has raised more than $251,000 toward its $300,000 goal. The GoFundMe also notes that McPhee and the kids “were the center of his world” — that “their bond was deep, joyful, and unmistakable to anyone who witnessed it.”

Ransone had spoken openly about his own struggles over the years. In a 2016 interview with Interview Magazine, he revealed he had gotten sober at 27 after five years on heroin — a candor that, for many fans, made his performances feel even more lived-in and real.

What McPhee is building now, in the absence of the person she built everything with, is something different. Harder. But Jack just turned 7, and she can finally see that every day is a gift. That’s where she is. That’s enough for right now.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org.