Melissa Etheridge opens up on son Beckett’s death at 21 amid opioid addiction

Melissa Etheridge opened up about her son’s Beckett’s death at 21 death four months ago amid opioid addiction, and her efforts to quell the epidemic.

The Come to My Window singer, 59, appearing on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna on Thursday, said that ‘in the end, there’s a small amount of peace knowing he’s not in pain anymore.’

The Leavenworth, Kansas native said her family ‘is very, very close and the strength comes from the love of the rest of us’ as they grieve.

‘Of course we miss him,’ said the Grammy winner. ‘My wife and my three other children, we come together, and we know he’s here in spirit, so we do what we love, and we love each other and come together. You just do it one day at a time.’ 

The month after her son’s death, Etheridge began her Etheridge Foundation aimed at quelling opioid addiction.

‘I’m not alone in this nation of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction,’ the singer-songwriter said on the show. ‘Unfortunately there’s way too many of us. This is an epidemic. We lose over 150,000 people a year to opioid addiction. One thing that helped me heal was starting the Etheridge Foundation.’

I’m the Only One singer, who’s mother to Bailey, 23, and twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven, 13, said the foundation, which is slated to have its first benefit October 11, is aimed at researching ‘alternatives to get off of this track of pharmaceuticals for pain.’

She added, ‘It’s research to understand pain, to understand addiction, and there’s many alternatives, there’s many people trying things that just understand the mind and the body and addiction.

‘We really want to move to the forefront quickly of things that can help with opioid addiction.’

Etheridge told People in a statement May 13 that Beckett fatally overdosed on opioids.

‘My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today,’ she said. ‘He will be missed by those who loved him, his family and friends.’