Rock singer Melissa Etheridge said her late son, Beckett — who died from causes related to opioid addiction in 2020, at the age of 21 — came out as straight when he was 11, and apologized to her for not being gay.
“I remember my oldest son, Beckett — who actually passed away — when he was about eleven, he came to me, he goes, ‘Mom, I’m sorry, but I think I’m straight,’” Etheridge recalled during a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, eliciting raucous laughs from both the host and the audience.
“I tried to tell him it was a phase, but you know,” the “Come to My Window” signer joked, which prompted more laughter from everyone, after which Kelly Clarkson quipped, “We were trying to pray the straight away.”
Beckett reportedly died from causes related to opioid addiction on May 13, 2020.
Etheridge shares her late son with ex-girlfriend, film director Julie Cypher, as well as a 28-year-old daughter, Bailey — both of whom were conceived with the help of musician David Crosby.
he country star is also a mother to 19-year-old twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven, who were conceived through an anonymous sperm donor, and whom she shares with her ex-wife, actress Tammy Lynn Michaels.
In 2024, Etheridge told People that in the years since Beckett’s death, she has “learned to understand more about eternity — and how we are eternal beings.”
“Otherwise, it would be too hard to even take any death. And to really believe in that is comfort. And to understand that we’re spiritual beings who are having a human experience,” the “I’m the Only One” singer continued. “And we come and go.”
Etheridge added that she gets “some relief” from knowing everyone will die someday, and that in the meantime, she is following the mantra “live with love.”
“This love that I speak of is not just for others, it’s for yourself. It’s for myself,” she said. “And to love myself enough not to get stuck in a cycle of grief and blame, and shame, and stuff that comes along, especially with anyone who’s addicted.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
