Billie Lourd has spoken out after it was revealed that her mother, Carrie Fisher, had cocaine and heroin in her system at the time of her death.
“My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it,” Lourd, 24, said in a statement to People on Monday. “She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases.”
The autopsy report released Monday showed that Fisher had cocaine, traces of heroin, other opiates and Ecstacy in her system when she suffered a heart attack on an airplane that ultimately led to her death at age 60 on December 27, 2016.
“She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases,” Lourd continued. “I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles. Seek help, fight for government funding for mental health programs. Shame and those social stigmas are the enemies of progress to solutions and ultimately a cure. Love you Momby.”
Fisher long battled drug addiction and mental illness. She said she smoked pot at 13, used LSD by 21 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 24. She was treated with electroshock therapy and medication.
With Post Wires