The Mother Of Scott Weiland’s Children Asks Everyone To Not Glamorize His Death
Scott Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Minnesota last week and his cause of death isn’t known right now, but TMZ says he died of cardiac arrest and a few unnamed “legendary musicians” said that he was doing drugs days before his death. Scott’s wife Jamie Weiland slapped at the rumors and said he had been sober for years. As Jamie did that, Scott’s ex-wife and the mother of his kids, Mary Forseberg Weiland, poured her heart out in an open letter that was posted on Rolling Stone. With help from her two teenaged children, Noah and Lucy, Mary wrote about what it was like living with an addict and says she wants people to stop glorifying the deaths of famous people who suffered from addiction. Meanwhile, the Viper Room has opened back up again and their cocktail menu features an amazingly classy drink that’s named after River Phoenix.
Mary starts out her letter by saying that her children lost their father a while ago:
December 3rd, 2015 is not the day Scott Weiland died. It is the official day the public will use to mourn him, and it was the last day he could be propped up in front of a microphone for the financial benefit or enjoyment of others. The outpouring of condolences and prayers offered to our children, Noah and Lucy, has been overwhelming, appreciated and even comforting. But the truth is, like so many other kids, they lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on December 3rd was hope.
Mary went on to write that even after their marriage ended, she tried to help Scott and sober him up for the sake of her children. Mary says that Scott suffered from several illnesses and after years of trying to get him together, she fell into a depression herself and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She was afraid the same thing would happen to her children. At one point, Child Protective Services stepped in and wouldn’t let Scott be with his kids unsupervised. Scott eventually married Jamie Weiland and his relationship with his children pretty much disappeared.
When Scott did move on to another relationship, I hoped it would inspire him to grow. I had often encouraged him to date a “normal” girl, a woman who was also a mother, someone who had the energy that I no longer had to love him. Instead, when he remarried, the children were replaced. They were not invited to his wedding; child support checks often never arrived. Our once sweet Catholic boy refused to watch the kids participate in Christmas Eve plays because he was now an atheist. They have never set foot into his house, and they can’t remember the last time they saw him on a Father’s Day. I don’t share this with you to cast judgment, I do so because you most likely know at least one child in the same shoes. If you do, please acknowledge them and their experience.
You can read Mary’s entire sad and beautifully written letter here. She ends it by saying that instead of buying a t-shirt with “Scott Weiland 1967-2015” on it, you should take a kid to a ballgame or to get ice cream.
I understand what Mary’s trying to say in her last line, but there’s no need to go crazy. No kid deserves to go to a boring ballgame with me. Children go through enough and they don’t need to deal with me fighting with the people around me because I’m trying to binge watch “Getting On” on my phone and I can hear their stupid fucking cheering through my headphones. A kid doesn’t need that.
Pic: Wenn.com