Carrie Fisher‘s brother Todd has broken his silence on the day he was blocked from attending his sister’s Hollywood Walk Of Fame star unveiling with unseen pictures of their ‘gentle’ childhood.
Her daughter Billie Lourd confirmed she did not invite her late mother’s siblings to the ceremony after a war of words erupted between the family members over the 30-seat guest list.
She accused Todd and Carrie’s half siblings Joely and Tricia Fisher of profiting off the Star War’s actress’s death on Wednesday and said they knew exactly why she didn’t invite them.
Todd disputed his niece’s allegations and said they had no idea why they were not invited to see Carrie posthumously get a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
He then took to social media hours before the ceremony on Thursday to share a heartwarming tribute to his beloved sister Carrie.
Carrie Fisher’s brother Todd has broken his silence on the day he was blocked from attending his sister’s Hollywood Walk Of Fame star unveiling with unseen pictures of their ‘gentle’ childhood
He then took to social media hours before the ceremony on Thursday to share a heartwarming tribute to his beloved sister Carrie
Carrie’s daughter Billie Lourd confirmed she did not invite her late mother’s siblings to the ceremony after a war of words erupted between them over the 30-seat guest list
Todd shared a series of heartwarming photos of him and Carrie together as children as well as one snap of the actress dressed as her Star Wars character Princess Leia alongside Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker.
‘A few unseen behind the scenes snap shots from a gentler time of our princess,’ he wrote.
‘I lovaly you Callie Fish, always will. May the 4th be with us all. Tafish.’
A snap shows a young Todd and Carrie posing together while sitting on the gates of a horse enclosure.
While in another the pair are pictured with their faces on the bodies of two cartoon siblings swinging on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
And a third shows a juvenile Carrie, wearing a green dress with a large yellow bow tie, deep in conversation.
It comes after Carrie’s daughter Billie did not invite Todd or her half sisters Joely and Tricia to the late actress’s Hollywood Walk Of Fame star unveiling on May 4.
He publicly complained about the decision, claiming the family had frozen him and insisted that if Carrie had her way he would be asked to the event.
‘Frankly, it’s a distressing situation and I don’t deserve to be put in this position,’ he told TMZ.
‘As the only brother of the Carrie Fisher, being omitted from this special day is truly hurtful,’ calling his exclusion ‘extremely hurtful and distressing as I was always a big part of everything my sister and mother did historically over their lifetimes.’
While Joely and Tricia released a joint statement on Wednesday to hit out at the ‘bizarre’ decision to bar them from the event and it was accompanied with several throwback snaps with Carrie.
‘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,’ they said.
‘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.
He shared one snap of Carrie dressed as her Star Wars character Princess Leia alongside Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker
Another shows a juvenile Carrie, wearing a green dress with a large yellow bow tie, deep in conversation
Carrie died in December 2016 at the age of 60 after going into cardiac arrest on a plane with cocaine, morphine and ecstasy in her system
Carrie Fisher’s brother Todd (pictured) claimed his family froze him out of the ceremony to see to his sister posthumously get a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame
‘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.’
Billie quickly responded with her own statement where she claimed the siblings had ‘capitalized on her mother’s death’ in a barbed statement to DailyMail.com.
She also said they had ‘hurt her deeply’ with their actions in the wake of her loss.
‘I have seen the postings and press release issued by my mother’s brother and sister. I apologize to anyone reading this for feeling the need to defend myself publicly from these family members,’ she said.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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.’
But Todd denied her ‘disturbing and hurtful’ claims and insisted the siblings didn’t know why they were banned from the event.
‘We made every attempt to speak with Billie’s team regarding the invitation prior to making any public comments,’ he said in statement to Variety.
‘Billie saying that she was publicly attacked by me is not the case, I simply expressed my hurt and disappointment in not being invited. And to further say that we were NOT invited and “we know why!” I had no idea what her reasons were.’
Todd disputed his niece’s allegations that he profited from the Star War’s actress’s death and said the siblings had no idea why they were not invited to the star unveiling ceremony
Fury: Fisher’s sisters Joely (R) and Tricia Leigh (L) have publicly accused the late star’s daughter Billie of ‘deliberately’ excluding them
The half siblings hit out at the ‘bizarre’ decision to bar them from the event in a joint statement
Joely and Tricia are the daughters of Carrie’s father Eddie Fisher with third wife actress Connie Stevens
Upset: The sisters’ post – accompanied by several throwback snaps with Carrie, read: ‘In response to all of you asking whether or not we will be part of the celebration….
He expressed that he simply wanted to honor Carrie.
Todd added: ‘Keeping the focus on Carrie Fisher, let’s put our differences aside for the hour long ceremony and move on from there.
‘I was told it was a no go and why would I want to heighten level of emotion for his niece, going further to say if I showed up, she would not.
‘I never capitalized on either Carrie or my mother Debbie’s deaths, and in no way meant to hurt Billie… and that is the truth …
‘Clearly, she could have called us and expressed her issues, even if we did not agree. Hearing about the event through a press article and from family friends was disturbing and hurtful, particularly since I was the one who initiated the Walk of Fame nomination for my sister a couple years ago.
‘As she has finally communicated these deep seeded [sic] feelings publicly and wants no relationship with me, my response is that I’ve finally learned where she stands after 7 years…..’
‘BUT could we not stand together for a moment, set aside our differences, and celebrate Carrie Fisher’s legacy in the way she deserves and the way she would have wanted?’
Elsewhere in the lengthy statement he also addressed Billie’s claim that following her mother’s death her siblings did interviews and sold books, and did not consult her.
‘Billie’s father was well aware months in advance of my book, which, was a loving and truthful homage to the incredible lives (not deaths) of Carrie and mom and the 60 plus years I spent with them both.
He added, ‘I was not aware of the permissions needed from Billie, who came along 40 years later’ and encouraged her to read the book as it could ‘assist in her healing process.’
He also reminded his niece that he possesses the family’s archives, including letters and personal communications, which prove how close he was to his sister.
‘To say that her mother’s very complicated relationship with her family is known only by her and those who are actually close to her, purposely negates my 60 plus years as Carrie’s only brother who lived those years by her side.’
‘Before making that inference as if she alone knows something, I ask her to remember that I have all of our family’s archives, letters and personal communications for 70 plus years. If you knew my mother, Debbie, you know she kept everything!’
Billie, who sported a dress featuring her mother’s most iconic role, was emotional as she delivered a speech honoring her late mother’s enduring legacy at the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in Southern California on Thursday.
The 30-year-old Booksmart actress was joined at the unveiling by Carrie’s longtime friend and Star Wars costar Mark Hamill, 71, who looked nearly as excited as Billie.
The event was perfectly timed to honor Fisher — who died on December 27, 2016, at just 60 — as the event took place on Star Wars Day, the informal holiday on May 4, which happens to sound a bit like the famous phrase, ‘May the Force be with you.’
‘My girls’: Todd with the women he doted on, mum Debbie and sister and Star Wars actress Carrie
Todd Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd pose in the press room at TNT’s 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2015
Carrie’s estimated $25million fortune, including bank accounts, luxury vehicles, personal items and rights to Fisher’s image, went to her daughter Billie
‘I feel so lucky that even though they won’t get to meet my mom, they will get to know a piece of her through Leia,’ Billie said.
‘And I will get to tell them that the little lady in the TV is my momby, their grandmomby. Leia has become a family heirloom, and not just for my family.’
She added of the Walk of Fame honors, ‘I can’t wait to bring my kids here when they’re old enough to understand how cool it is.’
The siblings’ snub from the ceremony follows a bitter family feud which erupted over the estates of Carrie and her mother Debbie Reynolds in 2017.
Carrie – who was witty and frank about her battles with addiction and bipolar disorder – died in December 2016 at the age of 60 after going into cardiac arrest on a plane with cocaine, morphine and ecstasy in her system.
Her grief-stricken mother, Singin’ In The Rain star Reynolds, died of a stroke a day later after telling Todd: ‘I want to be with Carrie.’
Debbie had left the bulk of her $70million estate to her children with Eddie Fisher, Carrie and Todd, and her granddaughter, Billie. The 84-year-old did not think her daughter Carrie would die before her and died so suddenly she couldn’t change her will.
But issues arose as some family members, including Todd, allegedly believed Billie shouldn’t be entitled to the inheritance from her grandmother because her mother died before Debbie.
The unexpected tragedies led to a dispute over the inheritance of their estates, worth an estimated combined $95million, according to Radar Online.
Her grief-stricken mother, Singin’ In The Rain star Reynolds, died of a stroke a day later after telling Todd: ‘I want to be with Carrie.’
Debbie had left the bulk of her $70million estate to her children with Eddie Fisher, Carrie and Todd, and her granddaughter, Billie, according to Radar.
The 84-year-old did not think her daughter Carrie would die before her and died so suddenly she couldn’t change her will.
And Carrie’s only child Billie, who she had with celebrity talent executive Bryan Lourd, reportedly believed her mother’s share should have gone to her.
‘While Debbie lost many millions in her lifetime to scheming husbands and bad business decisions — and even went bankrupt — she was worth a fortune when she died,’ a source told Radar in July 2017.
‘She left the bulk of her $70 million estate to her children with Eddie Fisher, Carrie and Todd, and her granddaughter, Billie.
‘She never thought for a minute that Carrie would die before her and didn’t plan for it. Then Debbie herself passed away so suddenly before changing her will.
‘I’m told Billie — Carrie’s only child — believes her mother’s share should pass straight to her.’
Passionate: Billie was emotional as she delivered a speech honoring her late mother’s enduring legacy at the ceremony in Southern California
Familiar faces: Billie posed next to top-notch C-3PO and R2-D2 stand-ins at the proceedings
Carrie would have got her share of the inheritance if their mother died first and when she died it would then have gone to her daughter Billie.
‘But Todd thinks Carrie’s share should go to him as Debbie’s only surviving direct descendant,’ the source said.
‘Friends are bracing for a family war. It’s so sad. Debbie would be devastated.’
The disagreement is said to have been clear at the public memorial service for Carrie and Debbie with Billie not in attendance.
She was spotted at dinner with her dad Bryan Lourd and her then boyfriend Taylor Lautner at Catch in Los Angeles on the day of the event but she is said to have not attended because she was grieving.
Carrie’s estimated $25million fortune, including bank accounts, luxury vehicles, personal items and rights to Fisher’s image, went to her daughter Billie.
And she was likely to receive the profits from any sale of her mother and grandmother’s $18million Beverly Hills estate, court documents revealed.
Although in 2020, she started a complete renovation of the properties to make room for her growing family.
Carrie and her mother Debbie lived side-by-side in the two California properties for more than 15 years before they tragically died within a day of each other in December 2016.
Billie was her mother’s only beneficiary and inherited the movie star’s 2016 Tesla S, several LLCs holdings, life insurance policies and Fisher’s intellectual property rights.
Todd and Carrie were Debbie’s children by her first husband Eddie Fisher, a singer who infamously abandoned the family to run off with Elizabeth Taylor.
While Joely and Tricia are Eddie’s daughters with his third wife actress Connie Stevens.
