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Melissa Etheridge is mourning the loss of her 21-year-old son Beckett.
In a statement shared to her social media accounts, the singer confirms that her youngest Beckett died on Wednesday of a drug overdose. “Today I joined the thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction,” she shared. “My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today.”
The mother-of-two continued, “He will be missed by those who love him, his family and friends. My heart is broken.”
In addition, the 58-year-old thanked the many individuals who reached out to express their condolences and stated that she feels “their love and grief” in this difficult time. She said she and her family “struggle with what else we could have done to save him,” but find comfort in the fact that he is “out of pain now.”
“I will sing again, soon. It has always healed me,” she ended her statement.
Her followers learned of Beckett’s death when it was shared via Melissa’s Twitter that she would no longer be participating in the Concerts From Home show. At the time, no cause of death was disclosed.
Melissa raised Beckett and his older sister, Bailey Jean, with her ex Julie Cypher, who she parted ways from in 2000. The couple welcomed the children via artificial insemination, something that the singer has openly discussed. She previously shared, “It doesn’t matter the equation that gets you there or what you are to that person. It doesn’t matter at all. It is the bond between you and the child.”
Julie Cypher has not spoken about his death, while David Crosby, the biological father of Beckett, retweeted an article about Beckett’s passing. Melissa has previously said that David “didn’t have any parental duties at all,” but on his Twitter David claims this is “not true.”
