Former talk show icon Ricki Lake, whose ratings were only surpassed by Oprah Winfrey in their heydays, has revealed that the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center made her leave New York in the early 2000s. She credits the experience to a "huge trajectory shift" in her life, which led her to leave the show at the height of its popularity and eventually leave her marriage. After her contract ran out, Lake moved to California and started making documentaries. She has since returned to New York after losing her home and possessions in the 2025 fires outside Los Angeles.