TØNSBERG (Dagbladet): – It is with dogs that they get sick, and often very sick. Elita, who I have had for thirteen years, went very fast. Then we finally found out that she was better off somewhere else.
It has been an extra dark autumn for influencers and “football lady” Louise Angelica Riise (30). At intervals of only three months she and her husband John Arne Riise (40) lost their two four-legged friends for many years, Elita and Chloe.
The 30-year-old is still burdened with grief when Dagbladet meets her in the center of Tønsberg together with her son Colin (1).
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– It is of course the worst decision I have ever made. Still, you feel that it was right, says Riise with a lump in her throat.
The family notices the absence of the two dogs. A bark when the doorbell rings, the daily airing in the neighborhood.
– That’s when grief comes. I still think that if Colin eats something and it lands on the floor, I have to make sure the dogs do not get it. And it is still very unusual that there are no dogs running to the door when we get home.
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Chose to cremate
But the dogs are still with them. As the family moves as much as they do, Louise Angelica Riise did not dare to bury them at home in Tønsberg.
Therefore, she landed on another solution.
– For now, I have them at home, cremated. They are standing in a closet in the living room right next to where their beds used to be. But now we can not talk about it anymore, Riise says in a trembling voice.
She wipes her tears and asks for a short break from the interview.
– I think I had an extra special relationship with my dogs because I had difficulty having children. They became in many ways a rescue in all the pain, and I sought a lot of comfort from them, Riise continues after buzzing.
– Elita often licked away my tears when I cried. It was her way of comforting me, she adds.
On her lap sits the one-year-old son Colin, who was born last year – after a long and tough battle to get pregnant.
The active one-year-old has provided light in the dark grief.
– I really want one more
– I will first go through this grieving process here, I am also happy that I have a child who takes up a lot of my time. But I do not want to “replace” the dogs with a new dog. It does not feel right in my case, Riise says frankly to Dagbladet.
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Dreaming of more children
On 9 August 2019, the Norwegian media was covered with news stories that John Arne Riise had become a father for the fourth time. For Louise Angelica, the date remains the culmination of a long and intense struggle to give birth to a child.
– For me, it was very important to be public on exactly that topic. There are many who struggle right away, and I do not think it is a taboo at all. For some, it does not work. I’m very glad I’ve been so open about it. It’s nice to be able to be more about it, she says.
– What was the toughest thing?
– It was probably the disappointment every time you took a pregnancy test that became negative. Because I think in the end that one almost imagines being pregnant without being. It’s a kind of disappointment over one’s own body, and one begins to doubt, because it does not work.
Colin is about to grab the Dagbladet microphone. The little charm troll recently learned to walk without help. The dream is to one day be able to make the one-year-old big brother.
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– We have been public that it was not quite easy for us. You never know how long it will take, either. But if that happens, it’s going to be amazing, and if it’s not, I’m just very grateful to have Colin.
The little boy pays close attention to his mother.
– We only take it as a great joy if we get it again, she smiles.
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Retreated
Last year they moved to a luxury villa on Nøtterøy in Tønsberg, not far from the ex-football star’s family. Here they live a quiet life, far away from the lenses of the TV cameras.
– It has been very natural to retire after we had children, says the 30-year-old.
For several seasons, Louise Angelica Riise was one of the profiles in the TV 2 success «The Bloggers». In 2019, she also gave birth to Colin in prime time in the series “Celebrity Mothers” on the same channel.
Had a bad conscience and wanted to sterilize
The husband filmed the birth without her knowing it.
– Basically, I did not know that it was filmed, it was John Arne who did with his phone. It should really only be for private use, Riise explains.
However, the 30-year-old, who describes himself as a private person, was in no doubt that the clip had to be shown to the Norwegian TV audience.
– I felt that if I had not included exactly that part of the pregnancy, there would have been something missing in the series. I felt that I gave a little extra of myself when I showed it, but I do not regret it, says Riise.
– Lonely
Ålesund, London, Malta and India. As the wife of ex-football professional John Arne Riise, Louise Angelica has long been used to moving around.
– Have you settled down in Tønsberg?
– It is difficult to say that you have settled down somewhere. It is the job of John Arne that decides where we will live. But we thrive very well here, so I will be very happy if we can stay here a little longer, but we never know how long we will stay somewhere.
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There have been some challenges – for example Louise Angelica Riise knows all about what it is like to sit at home alone while her husband is at work.
– It is a bit lonely in the long run, because you find friends and good neighbors, and suddenly we have to move again. And then you have to start again, again and again. So it is not only simple, but we think it is more exciting than negative, she says to Dagbladet.
Need to speak out
“Chaotic but harmonious” are the words she uses to describe the relationship. For she can well admit that it is not always “just just” to be the wife of John Arne Riise.
Cases have constantly appeared in the media where the ex-football professional surprises with fresh statements.
– We are very different. He’s very “outspoken”, and I certainly am not. He has a need to express opinions, and I am the exact opposite. I do not always agree, but I have to let him be him, he also respects that I am not like that.
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– But it is clear, sometimes I have thought that he should have held back a bit, but he has become much better, Louise Angelica Riise says.
Thrives as a mother
When Colin is laid out for the evening, the couple sets aside time for each other, either with a good dinner, or daffing in the sofa corner. This is how they keep alive what the 30-year-old calls “everyday joy”.
– It is very comfortable. It feels safe. We are very home-loving and really enjoy each other’s company. We have always spent a lot of time together, says Riise about the marriage.
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– What do you like best about John Arne?
– I have to say how he is as a father to Colin. I knew he wanted to be a good dad, but he’s still impressive, and he’s incredibly good. They have a very special band that is very nice for a mother to see.
Having a son Colin is the greatest thing she has experienced in her life.
– I really enjoy the role of mother, we enjoy ourselves a lot during the day, especially now that we are so much at home.
Colin grabs the iPad she has presented.
– Now it’s going to the floor.
-It’s not the first time this has happened. You have to have peace as a mother, says Riise.
– And you have?
-Yes I believe.
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