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‘She Had Effectively Killed Herself’: James Blunt Reflects On The Pressure Carrie Fisher Felt During Filming Star Wars
Musician James Blunt, who was a close friend of the iconic Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher opened up about the struggle and the pressure she felt to lose weight.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to drug addiction
In the entertainment industry, the pressure women feel to look a certain way is very apparent. Numerous influential celebrities have candidly shared their personal encounters with societal expectations, whether it pertains to their weight or other physical attributes.
Recently the You’re Beautiful singer, James Blunt, 50 opened up about his friend Carrie Fisher, who famously starred as Leia in Star Wars. He opened up about the battle she fought before her death in 2016.
James Blunt opens up about pressure Carrie Fisher felt
As per The Independent, while talking at the Hay Festival about his memoir titled, Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story, he reflected on the Star Wars actress’s death.
After meeting each other through their mutuals, Blunt and Fisher became close friends. While working on his Back To Bedlam album, released in 2004, he moved in with Fisher and her mother, singer Debbie Reynolds.
As per the outlet, Blunt revealed that he was there with the actress the day before she passed away as she had come to his house. He added, “And she’d been really mistreating her body, and she’d just got the job again of being Princess Leia in a new Star Wars movie.”
He mentioned that she had a positive attitude, but felt pressured to lose weight. Blunt shared that Fisher confided in him about the challenges women face in the industry, highlighting the double standard of aging for men and women.
He further shared, “And she really put a lot of pressure on herself, started using drugs again and by the time she got on the plane, she had effectively killed herself.”
Carrie Fisher was found to be unresponsive while traveling from London to Los Angeles on a flight. She died after she was taken to the hospital. As per People, after the actress died, it was found in her toxicology report that she had multiple substances in her system including MDMA, Cocaine, methadone, and heroin, and it was unclear if these substances caused her sudden death.
Carrie Fisher on the pressure she felt to lose weight
In 2015, Fisher herself opened up to Good Housekeeping U.K about her being under pressure to loose 35lbs.
She expressed, “Nothing changes, it’s an appearance-driven thing. I’m in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance. That is so messed up. They might as well say get younger, because that’s how easy it is.”
Her daughter Billie Lourd shared a statement to People after the actress’s death. She said that her mom suffered from drug addiction and mental health issues her entire life and she eventually died of it. She added, “She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases.”
Lourd further stated that she knows her mother and that she would want her death to encourage people to be open about their battles.
Lourd encouraged people to seek help and fight for the government funding for mental health. She further said, “Shame and those social stigmas are the enemies of progress to solutions and ultimately a cure. Love you Momby.”
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please reach out to the authorities and report it. There are several helplines available for the same.
ALSO READ: ‘We Could See The Problems': George Lucas Explains Why He Departed From Star Wars And Sold Lucasfilm
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