Melissa Etheridge Looks Back on Emotional Memories with Late Son Beckett: 'Sweet, Sensitive Soul'

Mar. 15, 2025

Melissa Etheridgeis reflecting on a difficult moment from her past.The musician, 62, appeared on this week’s episode ofWho’s Talking to Chris Wallace?on MAX, where she spoke to host Chris Wallace about her late son Beckett, whodied in 2020 at age 21from causes related to opioid addiction. “What do you want to tell us about Beckett?” Wallace asked.“I would tell you that he was a special, just sweet soul… sensitive, sensitive soul, who found human-ing to be very hard,” she shared. “And his one love that he found, one happiness that he found in life was snowboarding.““And it was a snowboarding accident where he broke his ankle when he was 17-18 that the Vicodin started and once you sort of numb the pain, and it numbs all the pain in you and then you get hooked chemically, it’s just almost impossible.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Melissa Etheridge and late son Beckett in October 2011.Melissa Etheridge and BeckettWallace then asked Etheridge to walk him through the emotions of her last few years with her son.“You can’t go save them, you can’t run and save them every other week when they’re making that poor choice, you have to eventually let a person make their choices,” Etheridge said. “So whatever happens so when the call did come, I was like, ‘OK, here it is.'““I mean, it’s never like what you think, but there was relief because one he’s out of pain. He’s not in that pain. And now I can just love him for what I know of his soul, his beautiful soul.“Beckettdied from causes related to opioid addictionon May 13, 2020. Etheridge shares her son with ex Julie Cypher, as well as daughter Bailey, 26. Etheridge is also mom to twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven, 17, whom she shares with ex Tammy Lynn Michaels.Melissa Etheridge performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May 2023.Erika Goldring/Getty ImagesIn November, Etheridgeopened up about how her beliefs about love helped her navigate the deathof her son Beckett.“When I lost my son, I learned how much my capacity for love was,” said Etheridge on anepisodeof theMaking Space withHoda Kotbpodcast.“Not only loving him and missing him and being OK but loving myself enough not to go into major depression andguilt and shamewhich so many families that lose loved ones to opioid addiction, just the shame is too big,” she continued.“It’s huge. So, I had to believe that there’s an over surrounding love to everything. Everything is love.“The musician shared that dealing with her grief is “a practice."“There can be days where the shadow comes on me. And I find myself thinking, ‘Oh, what if? What if I had done this? What if I had only done that?’ And that doesn’t serve me, and it causes me pain,” she explained.If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Melissa Etheridgeis reflecting on a difficult moment from her past.

The musician, 62, appeared on this week’s episode ofWho’s Talking to Chris Wallace?on MAX, where she spoke to host Chris Wallace about her late son Beckett, whodied in 2020 at age 21from causes related to opioid addiction. “What do you want to tell us about Beckett?” Wallace asked.

“I would tell you that he was a special, just sweet soul… sensitive, sensitive soul, who found human-ing to be very hard,” she shared. “And his one love that he found, one happiness that he found in life was snowboarding.”

“And it was a snowboarding accident where he broke his ankle when he was 17-18 that the Vicodin started and once you sort of numb the pain, and it numbs all the pain in you and then you get hooked chemically, it’s just almost impossible.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Melissa Etheridge and late son Beckett in October 2011.Melissa Etheridge and Beckett

Wallace then asked Etheridge to walk him through the emotions of her last few years with her son.

“You can’t go save them, you can’t run and save them every other week when they’re making that poor choice, you have to eventually let a person make their choices,” Etheridge said. “So whatever happens so when the call did come, I was like, ‘OK, here it is.'”

“I mean, it’s never like what you think, but there was relief because one he’s out of pain. He’s not in that pain. And now I can just love him for what I know of his soul, his beautiful soul.”

Beckettdied from causes related to opioid addictionon May 13, 2020. Etheridge shares her son with ex Julie Cypher, as well as daughter Bailey, 26. Etheridge is also mom to twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven, 17, whom she shares with ex Tammy Lynn Michaels.

Melissa Etheridge performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May 2023.Erika Goldring/Getty Images

Erika Goldring/Getty Images

In November, Etheridgeopened up about how her beliefs about love helped her navigate the deathof her son Beckett.

“When I lost my son, I learned how much my capacity for love was,” said Etheridge on anepisodeof theMaking Space withHoda Kotbpodcast.

“Not only loving him and missing him and being OK but loving myself enough not to go into major depression andguilt and shamewhich so many families that lose loved ones to opioid addiction, just the shame is too big,” she continued.

“It’s huge. So, I had to believe that there’s an over surrounding love to everything. Everything is love.”

The musician shared that dealing with her grief is “a practice.”

“There can be days where the shadow comes on me. And I find myself thinking, ‘Oh, what if? What if I had done this? What if I had only done that?’ And that doesn’t serve me, and it causes me pain,” she explained.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

source: people.com