Billie Lourd on not inviting Carrie Fisher's siblings to Walk of Fame ceremony: 'They know why'
On the eve of Carrie Fisher's induction onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame, private family drama has unfortunately spilled out into public view.
Billie Lourd, daughter of the late actress, writer, and Star Wars icon, issued a statement Wednesday confirming her uncle and aunts' claims that she snubbed them from the May 4 ceremony, while also accusing them of trying to capitalize on Fisher's death in 2016.
"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."
Steve Granitz/WireImage Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd in 2015
She continued: "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 effect our relationship." (Fisher's mother, Debbie Reynolds, died a day after her daughter.)
Lourd said that 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," adding that their actions following the deaths of her mother and grandmother "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 dispute became public Tuesday when Fisher's brother, Todd Fisher, told TMZ that it was "heartbreaking and shocking to me that I was intentionally omitted from attending this important legacy event for my sister." He added, "Frankly, it's a distressing situation and I don't deserve to be put in this position. As the only brother of the Carrie Fisher, being omitted from this special day is truly hurtful."
A day later, Carrie's half-sisters Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher posted a series of photos on Instagram of the three of them together, with Joely writing, "For some bizarre, misguided reason our niece has chosen not to include us in this epic moment in our sister's career." She added, "The fact that her only brother and two sisters were intentionally and deliberately excluded is deeply shocking."
In Lourd's statement Wednesday, she cited her uncle and aunts' remarks as confirmation that "my instincts were right."
"To be clear — there is no feud. We have no relationship," Lourd said. "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 has two children with husband Austin Rydell, whom she married last year. In concluding her statement, the American Horror Story and Booksmart actress brought the spotlight back to her mother and the honor she'll be receiving, rather appropriately, on Star Wars Day.
"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," she said. "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."
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