Actress Billie Lourd has marked the ninth anniversary of her mother Carrie Fisher's death with a deeply personal and moving tribute shared on social media.
A Daughter's Moving Tribute
On Saturday, December 27, 2024, Lourd, aged 33, took to Instagram to honour the memory of her mother, the iconic Star Wars actress and writer who died at the age of 60 in 2016. The Scream Queens star posted a nostalgic childhood photograph featuring herself with both her parents, Carrie Fisher and talent agent Bryan Lourd.
Accompanying the throwback image was a lengthy, heartfelt caption where Lourd reflected on her grief and the joy she finds in her own family. She described a tender morning moment with her three-year-old daughter, Jackson, whose actions prompted thoughts of her late mother. "I told her how much her grandmomby would have loved her," Lourd wrote, using the family's affectionate nickname for Fisher.
Generations of Connection
The post also featured a present-day photo of Lourd's father, Bryan, with her two young children, Jackson and her five-year-old son, Kingston, whom she shares with husband Austen Rydell. Lourd poignantly noted that the two photos were taken 25 years apart, beautifully illustrating the passage of time and the enduring bonds of family.
She expressed immense joy in watching her father with her kids, describing it as a feeling so profound it "makes your face hurt because you can’t stop smiling." However, she was quick to connect this happiness directly to her mother's legacy. "This joy only exists because she existed," Lourd stated. "So even though she is not physically part of this joy, she is part of the reason for it."
Finding Joy in Grief
Lourd eloquently described her grief as a shape-shifting entity, acknowledging that on this anniversary, it had taken the form of "bittersweet joy." She channelled her mother's own wisdom, quoting Fisher's famous line: “Nothing is ever really over. Just over there”.
"My mombys life isn't really over. Just over there - in my kids and in this joy I’m able to experience because of her," Lourd concluded. "Thank you momby. I will never stop missing you."
The tribute comes after Lourd openly acknowledged her mother's struggles in October 2024, on what would have been Fisher's 68th birthday. She spoke of Fisher's battle with drug addiction, stating, "I did everything in my power to help my mom get sober but sadly my mom couldn’t ever escape her addiction." Carrie Fisher died after suffering a cardiac arrest in December 2016, with post-mortem tests finding drugs in her system.
