Singer Melissa Etheridge has announced the death of her son Beckett Cypher following his struggles with opioid addiction.
Beckett, Etheridge’s son from her relationship with Julie Cypher, was 21.
Etheridge and Cypher, who have been separated for many years, also share a daughter, Bailey. Both children were conceived using artificial insemination and a sperm donation from musician David Crosby.
In a twitter post, Etheridge revealed that her son had lost the battle against his addiction.
“Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction,” Etheridge wrote in a Twitter post on Wednesday night.
“My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today.”
Etheridge’s team had already confirmed the death of her son in a tweet that did not specify the cause of death earlier in the day.
In the past, Etheridge had spoken about the joys of being a parent.
“There’s nothing like taking the responsibility or creating the responsibility of bringing a human being into this world and helping it in its first years,” she told Parents after the birth of Beckett.
“It doesn’t matter the equation that gets you there or what you are to that person. It doesn’t matter at all. It is the bond between you and the child.”
