InstagramIt's been nearly two months since Gia Allemand committed suicide. Now her boyfriend, New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson, has spoken out publicly for the first time since the Bachelor star's passing.
"Every day is a challenge," Anderson told the press during a team media day on Monday, the Times-Picayune reports. "It helps to be here. My family's with me. To be here with my teammates really helps a lot, but it's a roller-coaster."
It was on Aug. 12 that Anderson found 29-year-old Allemand unconscious in her New Orleans home after hanging herself. She was taken to the hospital, but doctors later withdrew life support after determining she had suffered a critical loss of brain and organ function.
Anderson noted that he is working on creating a foundation in Allemand's memory.
"Something like that just doesn't happen for no reason. And I know that...there's...a huge plan here," he tearfully said. "A lot of people are going to be helped from this. And...we're in the process of starting something great for her with her family, including my family too. We have a huge plan to do something great, great in her name that's going to help a lot of people."
Anderson credited both his faith and work for helping him cope with Allemand's death.
"I praise God every day to have Him in my life," he said. "It would be very, very hard to get through these steps if I didn't have God and Jesus Christ in my life. I'm really glad coach asked me to come back when I did. I've been here for a few weeks now and just being around the guys and being back in the gym, having some sort of routine back, it helps a little bit."