Billie Lourd has long preferred to keep her personal life as private as possible, but the actress has taken the rare step of releasing a public statement to quiet family discord by offering her side of the story ahead of a special ceremony honoring her late mother, Carrie Fisher.
In a statement received by The Hollywood Reporter, Lourd first apologizes to “anyone reading this for feeling the need to defend myself publicly,” adding that she’s only doing so after being “publicly attacked” by her family members in statements given to TMZ and posted on social media. She then confirms that she did not invite Fisher’s brother, Todd, and half-sisters, Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher, to Thursday’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, and that “they know why.”
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“Days after my mom died, her brother and her sister chose to process their grief publicly and capitalize on my mother’s death, by doing multiple interviews and selling individual books for a lot of money, with my mom and my grandmother’s deaths as the subject. I found out they had done this through the press. They never consulted me or considered how this would affect our relationship,” reads Lourd’s statement. “Though I recognize they have every right to do whatever they choose, their actions were very hurtful to me at the most difficult time in my life. I chose to and still choose to deal with her loss in a much different way.”
The family suffered tremendous loss when the beloved Star Wars icon passed away in Los Angeles at age 60 on Dec. 27, 2016. One day later, Fisher’s mother, the legendary performer Debbie Reynolds, passed away at age 84. On June 5, 2018, Todd Fisher published the memoir My Girls: A Lifetime With Carrie and Debbie. Joely Fisher published a memoir as well, Growing Up Fisher: Musings, Memories and Misadventures in 2017. For her part, Lourd leads a relatively private life, preferring to share pieces of it via Instagram where she sometimes posts tributes to her mother and grandmother on anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions. Her interviews are few and far between, and typically tied to acting projects like the recent Ticket to Paradise.
The family conflict around this week’s Walk of Fame ceremony came to light on May 2 when TMZ reported that Fisher’s brother, Todd, was not invited to see his sister honored posthumously. “It’s heartbreaking and shocking to me that I was intentionally omitted from attending this important legacy event for my sister, Carrie,” he told the outlet. Early on Wednesday, Fisher’s half-sisters released a joint statement posted on Joely’s Instagram confirming that they were also not invited to attend.
“For some bizarre, misguided reason our niece has chosen not to include us in this epic moment in our sister’s career. This is something Carrie would have definitely wanted her siblings to be present for. The fact that her only brother and two sisters were intentionally and deliberately excluded is deeply shocking,” reads the sisters’ statement.
Lourd noted both the TMZ and IG posts in her statement. “The press release Todd Fisher gave to TMZ and the posting Joely Fisher placed on Instagram, once again confirms that my instincts were right. To be clear — there is no feud. We have no relationship. This was a conscious decision on my part to break a cycle with a way of life I want no part of for myself or my children,” said Lourd, who has two children with husband Austen Rydell.
After Lourd issued the statement, Todd Fisher responded with another statement, saying [ed. note: all typos sic]: “We made every attempt to speak with Billie’s team regarding the invitation prior to making any public comments. Keeping the focus on Carrie Fisher, let’s put our differences aside for the hour long ceremony and move on from there. I was told It was a no go and why would I want to heighten level of emotion for his niece, going further to say if I showed up, she would not.”
He defended the memoir by saying, “I never capitalized on either Carrie or my mother Debbie’s deaths, and in no way meant to hurt Billie… and that is the truth. Billie’s father was well aware months in advance of my book, which, was a loving and truthful homage to the incredible lives (not deaths) of Carrie and mom and the 60 plus years I spent with them both.”
Read Billie Lourd’s full statement below.
I have seen the postings and press release issued by my mother’s brother and sister. I apologize to anyone reading this for feeling the need to defend myself publicly from these family members. But unfortunately, because they publicly attacked me, I have to publicly respond. The truth is I did not invite them to this ceremony. They know why.
Days after my mom died, her brother and her sister chose to process their grief publicly and capitalize on my mother’s death, by doing multiple interviews and selling individual books for a lot of money, with my mom and my grandmother’s deaths as the subject. I found out they had done this through the press. They never consulted me or considered how this would affect our relationship. The truth of my mom’s very complicated relationship with her family is only known by me and those who were actually close to her. Though I recognize they have every right to do whatever they choose, their actions were very hurtful to me at the most difficult time in my life. I chose to and still choose to deal with her loss in a much different way.
The press release Todd Fisher gave to TMZ and the posting Joely Fisher placed on Instagram, once again confirms that my instincts were right. To be clear — there is no feud. We have no relationship. This was a conscious decision on my part to break a cycle with a way of life I want no part of for myself or my children.
The people who knew and loved my mom at Disney and Lucasfilm have made this star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor her legacy possible. This moment is about Carrie Fisher and all that she accomplished and what she meant to the world. I’m going to focus on that. May the 4th be with you.
May 3, 10:22 p.m. Updated to include Todd Fisher’s statement.
