1996年,凯泽拉杰因肝癌去世。中年丧偶让波格莱里奇深受打击,他从此隐居在瑞士卢加诺,极少参加录音和演出,重新找寻自己的人生。
在沉寂了十年之后,2006年他再度接受媒体采访。当提及自己逝去的妻子时,波格莱里奇自比杰奎琳·肯尼迪在肯尼迪总统遇刺身亡后,不愿将沾满亡夫脑浆和血迹的裙子一样, 指出凯泽拉杰临终时给他最后一吻时,由于肝脏爆裂将黑血喷到了波格莱里奇的头发上,但他竟然舍不得洗掉,满头血浆地留了多天。
“She was so demanding. She clothed herself in art, she absorbed it, devoured it. She was so universal. She had everything,class, education, beauty, talent and affection. She outshone everything like acomet. You could never stand still with her, that's true, she was always on thego. Even in death she was still the princess she was born as. She had cancer ofthe liver. When she died her liver exploded, and in her last kiss she showeredme with black blood. I looked like the phantom of the opera. My hair was completely clotted. I didn't want to wash it off. When they condoled us with champagne I was still covered in her blood. But everyone understood. It was like with Jackie Kennedy who didn't want to change the dress that was spattered with her husband's brain. I was happy so early in my life, I knew now I would have to stand on my own two feet. It just took a long time.”
——载于2006年德国周刊《Weekly Publication》的原文