Family is a complicated beast. It’s one that, if we’re being honest, doesn’t need to be played our publicly. If anything, family deserves the privacy and space that it takes to grow or come to an end. Family isn’t always about blood and if we’re being honest, blood doesn’t mean that those people will not let you down.
The truth is, I believe that family issues shouldn’t be made public, but when a hand is forced there is a time that you need to protect your own peace. And yes, I am a big believer of protecting ones peace first and foremost.
Billie Lourd has been extremely private and we can respect that. Today, being the 4th of May, her Mom, Carrie Fisher is receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has been forced to defend herself after her mothers siblings took to the media and social media in order to say that they won’t be there.
“In response to all of you asking whether or not we will be part of the celebration….Strangely we won’t be in attendance to celebrate our sister , whom we adored. 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. We have all been grieving the loss of our favorite human for some years now…we have given Billie the space to do that in her own way. We have been nothing but loving and open, consistently. This isn’t about a photo op on Hollywood Blvd…this is about celebrating the permanency of Carrie’s legacy in this industry , taking her place with a star on the iconic walk of fame along side our parents. We thank the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for honoring our sister in this way. May the Fourth Be with you. Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher,” Joely wrote on social media.
Billie Lourd doesn’t really make public statements, so it’s not surprising to me that the first thing that she did was apologize to everyone having to read the statement, “I have seen the postings and press release issued by my mother’s brother and sister,” Lourd said (via: Hollywood Reporter).
“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.”
“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.”
While a lot of people will see both sides, ultimately what we do hope is that Billie is able to celebrate her Mom and feel her presence on a day that she is being celebrated.
Families are complicated, but in this writers opinion – Carrie’s sisters and brother didn’t have to make anything public. People will always have questions, doesn’t mean you have to answer them all, Fisher sisters and brother.