Billie Lourd has issued a statement confirming and explaining why she did not invite her late mother Carrie Fisher‘s siblings — Todd, Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher — to Carrie’s upcoming Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Thursday, May 4. Lourd’s statement came after Fisher’s siblings expressed shock over being left out of the ceremony, which is taking place on Star Wars Day to honor the late Princess Leia actor. Lourd called out her relatives for capitalizing on Carrie’s death through interviews and book deals.
“I have seen the postings and press release issued by my mother’s brother and sister,” Lourd said. “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,” Lourd continued. “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.”
Todd Fisher told TMZ on May 2 that it was “heartbreaking” and “shocking” to be left off the guest list for Carrie’s Walk of Fame ceremony.” He added, “I was intentionally omitted from attending this important legacy event for my sister, Carrie.”
Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher posted a joint statement on Instagram a day later in which they wrote, “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.”
“The press release Todd Fisher gave to TMZ and the posting Joely Fisher placed on Instagram, once again confirms that my instincts were right,” Lourd fired back. “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.
Lourd concluded, “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.
Carrie Fisher passed away in December 2016 at the age of 60. A day later, Fisher’s mother and Lourd’s grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, passed away. Billie Lourd followed in her family’s footsteps as an actor and recently starred opposite George Clooney and Julia Roberts in “Ticket to Paradise.” She’s also a veteran of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” franchise, having appeared in five seasons of the show.
Additional reporting by Ellise Shafer.
