UPDATE (5/13/2020 @ 10:23 p.m. ET): Melissa Etheridge has broken her silence with a statement just hours after her son Beckett‘s death. “Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction. My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today,” she wrote in a message shared to her social media platforms. “He will be missed by those who loved him, his family and friends. My heart is broken. I am grateful for those who have reached out with condolences and I feel their love and sincere grief,” she wrote in the heartbreaking message, adding “We struggle with what else we could have done to save him, and in the end we know he is out of pain now. I will sing again, soon. It has always healed me.”
Melissa Etheridge‘s son Beckett Cypher has died at just 21-years-old. “We’re sad to inform you that Melissa’s son Beckett passed away and there will not be a Concerts From Home show today,” a tweet from the 58-year-old singer’s twitter account, signed “#TeamME,” sadly read on Wednesday, May 13, referencing Melissa’s on-going virtual Facebook Live events that she began in March. No additional information — including a cause-of-death — has been released, however, Melissa’s rep also confirmed the tragic news to our sister publication Variety. HollywoodLife has reached out to Melissa’s team for a statement, but has not received a response as of publishing time.
Melissa shared 21-year-old Cypher with her former partner, film director Julie Cypher, 55. The pair met in 1988 while Julie was working on the set of her video “Bring Me Some Water,” and began a romantic relationship shortly after. In addition to Beckett, the couple were also parents to daughter Bailey, 23, who was born in Feb. 1997. Both Beckett and Bailey are the biological children of singer David Crosby, and were born via artificial insemination. The couple split in 2000, however, appeared later that year on 60 Minutes to discuss how they were co-parenting their two children. “I do not believe that my children will be wanting in any way because they didn’t have a father in the home every single day,” Melissa said at the time. “What they have in the home is two loving parents. I think that puts them ahead of the game,” the Grammy winner also added.
Since splitting with Julie, Melissa was in a relationship with Tammy Lynn Michaels, 45 — with whom she shares twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven, 13 — until 2010. The Yes I Am singer, who is also a close friend of Brad Pitt, went on to marry her now-wife Linda Wallem, 58, in 2014.
We’re sad to inform you that Melissa’s son Beckett passed away and there will not be a Concerts From Home show today. – #TeamME
— Melissa Etheridge (@metheridge) May 13, 2020
Melissa’s friend Jane Lynch expressed her condolences via social media about the untimely news of Beckett’s death. “Love and comfort to @metheridge and Linda. Rest In Peace sweet Beckett,” the Glee star posted on Wednesday, May 13, including Melissa’s wife. Andy Lassner, Ellen DeGeneres‘ Executive Producer who often appears on the show, also shared a sweet post. “My god. This is unfathomably heartbreaking,” Andy wrote in a tweet.
Love and comfort to @metheridge and Linda. Rest In Peace sweet Beckett. https://t.co/1QpE0Ac8bq
— Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) May 13, 2020
Our thoughts are with Melissa, Julie, Beckett’s siblings Bailey, Johnnie, and Miller, and their friends and family during this time.