Walton Goggins of White Lotus Speaks Out on the Deaths of Rick and Chelsea
The White Lotus enthusiasts are not the only ones heartbroken over the stunning double murder — and one of the cast members has now shared their thoughts on the season 3 romance that went tragically wrong.
Walton Goggins took to Instagram on Sunday, April 6, to post a heartfelt tribute following the onscreen deaths of Rick and Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood).
“With the heaviest of hearts… To me, ours was a love story. It was always just a love story, hindered by unresolved childhood trauma,” Goggins, 53, wrote alongside pictures of himself and Wood, 31. “We all carry these burdens… but can we transcend them?”
The actor reflected on how he connected with Rick and Chelsea’s narrative, stating, “In the depths of our despair, beauty always surrounds us. If we can remain with our pain, simply sitting with it … not reacting … not allowing it to define us … The love that the world continuously offers is ever-present. It’s waiting for us to recognize it… Trust me, I understand.”
Goggins expressed his gratitude to creator Mike White for “your imagination, your compassionate heart, for the privilege of allowing us to convey this story.” He also thanked Wood, adding, “For being my partner … a journey I will cherish forever.”
In other parts of his message, Goggins gave a shout-out to his scene partner Sam Rockwell and the entire cast and crew.
“Sammy Rock for being the greatest wingman a guy could hope for. And to all the phenomenal actors in this cast, you’re simply a joy to behold. Bernad, John, Ben, Kamine … and the entire crew. I love you,” he continued. “We’ll always have Thailand. And to everyone watching … thank you for joining us on this journey. Those first 5 photos, some taken on those fateful days, are by our talented stills photographer @fabio_lovino_ Gifts. Thank you, my friend.”
Goggins wrapped up the post with a quote from Aeschylus: “’Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God,’” he concluded.
During Sunday’s episode, Rick (Goggins) experienced a fleeting moment of peace resolving not to kill Sritala (Lek Patravadi)’s husband to avenge his late father. Ultimately, he did take Jim’s (Scott Glenn) life—who turned out to be his father—and Chelsea (Wood) was tragically caught in the crossfire.
Rick attempted to get Chelsea medical assistance, but Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) killed him while defending Sritala. The two perished together in the pond at The White Lotus resort.
Before the third installment concluded, Charlotte Le Bon humorously remarked about the expected fan reaction, telling The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, “People are going to hate Mike White.”
White also commented on the pressure to wrap up the series satisfactorily, sharing, “To be honest, I’m a bit of a head case right now. I’m crying in my car. This show is my entire life, and then it ends, leaving me back in my house with my dog, trying to recall who my friends are and what I did before the show. I don’t want to end up like those crazy people who’ve lost their grasp on reality. I had to take these MMPI psych tests, and they said, ‘You’ve become one standard deviation less nice than you were in 2018.’ Yep, that sounds about right.”
The White Lotus is currently available for streaming on Max.
