Todd Fisher, the brother of Carrie Fisher, is firing back after Carrie’s daughter Billie Lourd explained why he and Carrie’s two sisters – Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher – were not invited to the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Thursday.
In a lengthy statement, Carrie’s daughter accused her aunts and uncles of trying to profit off of the death of the “Star Wars” actress and claims that “they know why” they were not invited to the ceremony to honor their sister on Thursday.
Carrie Fisher’s Brother Fires Back At Billie Lourd After Not Being Invited To Hollywood Walk Of Fame Ceremony
Although Billie Lourd put her uncle on blast for putting out a statement about his lack of invitation to the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony through TMZ, Carrie Fisher’s brother Todd fired back at the actress’ public statement… by putting out another message through TMZ on Wednesday night.
He claims that he tried to settle the family differences privately before going to the media. Todd said that he was trying to put their differences aside so that they could all get together and celebrate Carrie and her legacy on Thursday afternoon.
“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,” Todd was quoted telling the outlet. He also alleges that he didn’t “publicly attack” Billie, as she claims. Even though Billie wrote “they know why” they weren’t invited, Todd says he doesn’t understand.
He also said that it was hurtful to learn that he wasn’t invited to the event through a press release and not his niece, especially considering that he was the one who started the process to get Carrie a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additionally, he claims that he never tried to profit off the death of his sister, or the death of his mother, “Singing In The Rain” star Debbie Reynolds, only a few days later.
Although Todd Fisher did write a book about his famous family, he told the outlet that Billie’s father knew that Todd had always wanted to write a book about them. “I was not aware of the permissions needed from Billie, who came along 40 years later,” Todd told the outlet.
“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,” he added.
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Although it seems doubtful that he will be invited to the ceremony amid all of the back-and-forth drama going through the media, Carrie’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony will be available for everyone to stream online through their website.
Billie Lourd Says There Is No Family Feud: ‘We Have No Relationship’
In a public statement released via The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday afternoon, Billie admitted that she had seen the statements and press release issued by the family and apologized that she felt “the need to defend myself publicly from these family members.”
“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,” she wrote. “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.”
Billie claims that she only found out about this through the press and noted that they never “consulted” or asked how it would affect her. “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,” she wrote.
She went on to say, “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.”
She pointed to her sisters’ Instagram post and her brothers’ first statement to TMZ as proof that her “instincts were right,” adding that the family is not in a “feud” because “We have no relationship.” She said that 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,” she added. “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.”
