Ricki Lake's ex-husband and "soulmate" Christian Evans has died

She wrote: "It is with a heavy heart that I share that my beloved soulmate, Christian Evans has passed. The world didn't understand this man, but I did. He succumbed to his life long struggle with bipolar disorder. For anyone who has ever lost a family member or friend to mental illness, my heart goes out to you. I am a greater person for having known him and spent the past 6 and a half years of my life with him. He was a man of love and what mends my broken heart today is knowing that he is finally at peace and his spirit is free. Rest in peace, my love (sic)"

Ricki did not confirm an exact cause of death but shared a picture of the two of them staring lovingly into each other's eyes on Instagram.

Ricki began dating Christian in 2010 and they married in April 2012. However, their romance was relatively short-lived and in October 2014, the TV star filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences.

And despite putting their divorce on hold in late 2014, the marriage was officially ended in 2015.

During the divorce case, Christian claimed that Ricki - who was previously married to Rob Sussman from 1994 to 2004 - had defrauded him while negotiating their prenuptial agreement.

Despite this accusation, the Emmy Award-winning star still hailed Christian as her "soulmate" during her lengthy and heartfelt Instagram tribute