Billie Lourd has long preferred to keep her personal life as private as possible, but the actress took the rare step of releasing a public statement to calm family discord by offering her side of the story ahead of a special ceremony honoring Billie Lourd. his late mother Carrie Fisher.
In a statement received by The Hollywood Reporter, Lourd first apologizes to “anyone reading this for feeling the need to publicly defend themselves” to family members, adding that she is only doing so after being “publicly attacked by them” via statements given to TMZ and posted on social media. She then confirms that she didn’t invite Fisher’s siblings, Todd, Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher, to Thursday’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony and “they know why.”
“A few days after my mother’s death, her brother and sister chose to address their grief publicly and capitalize on my mother’s death, doing several interviews and selling individual books for big bucks, with the death of my mother and my grandmother as a subject. I found out they did it through the press. They never consulted with me or considered how it would affect our relationship,” Lourd’s statement read. “While I recognize that they have every right to do whatever they want, their actions were very hurtful to me at the most difficult time of my life. I chose and still choose to deal with his loss of life. a very different way.
The family suffered a tremendous loss when the beloved star wars icon, died in Los Angeles at the age of 60 on December 27, 2016. A day later, Fisher’s mother, legendary performer Debbie Reynolds died at the age of 84 in Los Angeles on December 28, 2016 On June 5, 2018, Todd Fisher released the memoir My Daughters: A Life with Carrie and Debbie. Joely Fisher also published a memoir, Growing up Fisher: Reflections, Memories and Misadventures in 2017. For her part, Lourd leads a relatively private life, preferring to share bits and pieces of it via Instagram where she sometimes posts tributes to her mother and grandmother on birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions. His interviews are rare and usually related to acting projects like the recent ticket to paradise.
The situation came to light on May 2 when TMZ reported that Fisher’s brother, Todd Fisher, was not invited to have his sister posthumously honored with a star on the Walk of Fame this week. “It is heartbreaking and shocking to me that I was intentionally omitted to attend this important event for my sister, Carrie,” he told the outlet. Early Wednesday, Fisher’s sisters, Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher, released a joint statement posted to Joely’s Instagram that confirmed they were also not invited to attend.
“For some bizarre and mistaken reason, our niece chose not to include us in this epic moment in our sister’s career. only brother and his two sisters have been intentionally and deliberately excluded is deeply shocking,” read the sisters’ statement.
Lourd noted the TMZ and IG posts in his statement. “The press release Todd Fisher gave to TMZ and Joely Fisher’s Instagram post, once again confirms that my instincts were right. To be clear, there is no quarrel. We have no relationship. It was a conscious decision on my part to break a cycle with a lifestyle that I don’t want to be part of for myself or my children,” said Lourd, who has two children with her husband Austen Rydell.
Read Billie Lourd’s full statement below.
I saw the messages and the press release issued by my mother’s brother and sister. I apologize to anyone reading this for feeling the need to publicly defend myself against these family members. But unfortunately, because they attacked me publicly, I have to respond publicly. The truth is that I did not invite them to this ceremony. They know why.
A few days after my mother’s death, her brother and sister chose to address their grief publicly and capitalize on my mother’s death, by doing several interviews and selling individual books for big bucks, with the death of my mother and my grandmother as a subject. I found out they did it through the press. They never consulted me or considered how it would affect our relationship. The truth about my mother’s very complicated relationship with her family is known only to me and those who were actually close to her. Although I recognize that they have every right to do whatever they want, their actions have been very hurtful to me at the most difficult time of my life. I chose and still choose to handle his loss in a very different way.
The press release Todd Fisher gave to TMZ and Joely Fisher’s Instagram post, once again confirms that my instincts were right. To be clear, there is no quarrel. We have no relationship. It was a conscious decision on my part to break a cycle with a lifestyle that I don’t want to be a part of for myself or my children.
The people who knew and loved my mother at Disney and Lucasfilm made this a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor her possible legacy. This moment is about Carrie Fisher and all she has accomplished and what she meant to the world. I will focus on that. May the 4 be with you.
More soon.