Melissa Etheridge’s Son Beckett Cypher Dies from Opioid Overdose

Last week representatives for singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge revealed in a statement that her son, 21-year-old Beckett Cypher, had passed away. In a statement of her own, Etheridge revealed that Beckett had died from an opioid overdose, and that he had suffered from opioid addiction.

As she told PEOPLE, “Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction.”

Born in 1998 to Etheridge and her former partner Julie Cypher, Beckett was conceived via sperm donation from the couple’s friend, David Crosby of the music group Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. The couple also share a daughter, Bailey, who is 23.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Etheridge had been performing weekly Facebook Live concerts, which her fans had grown to expect and enjoyed from their homes. On the day of a scheduled home performance, Etheridge’s team first confirmed the news of Beckett’s passing, stating that she would not be performing that day.

Later, thousands of condolences poured in on social media, where Etheridge shared a message for her followers, confirming Beckett’s death herself.

In that message, Etheridge said, “We struggle with what else we could have done to save him, and in the end we know he is out of the pain now.”

It is clear from Etheridge’s statements that Beckett struggled with opioid addiction for some time, and that the family had their own struggles in trying to help him.

Beckett’s sister Bailey also posted a tribute on Instagram, sharing that she was “Too heartbroken and overwhelmed to be eloquent but appreciate all those who have reached out.”

Bailey’s post features several pictures of Beckett, both recent and from their early childhood. The main photo features Bailey alongside Beckett and their twin siblings, Johnnie Rose and Miller, whom Etheridge shares with Tammy Lynn Michaels.

Over the following days, Bailey continued to share her grief, with nostalgic photos of happier times.

Less than a week after Beckett’s passing, a pre-recorded performance by Bailey and Etheridge was set to air on the Rachael Ray Show. In light of Beckett’s passing, the mother-daughter duo wished to still air the performance, a cover of the Coldplay song, “Fix You.”

In an Instagram post, the Rachael Ray Show said they would air the song as a tribute to Beckett, stating that, “There are things in life we can’t fix, but we can be here for each other.”

As the family grapples with their unimaginable loss, Etheridge stated that she will sing again “soon,” as it “has always healed [her].”