Gossip: Bernie and Ruth Madoff
The couple tried to kill themselves by swallowing pills on Christmas Eve in 2008.
Bernie and Ruth Madoff tried to kill themselves, Ruth told CBS’s 60 Minutes this week. After Bernie told her he was running a giant Ponzi scheme, Ruth said, they swallowed pills on Christmas Eve in 2008. “We decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening,” said Ruth, 70. “We took the pills and woke up the next day. It was very impulsive, and I’m glad we woke up.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published