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Carrie Fisher’s Legacy Lives On, Nine Years After The Icon’s Death
It was quite some time ago when the loss of Carrie Fisher was felt, however, her legacy continues to be one of the most influential figures in our times. The day after Christmas 2016 saw the death of the Star Wars icon at the age of 60, she was taken off life support four days after her heart stopped during a flight from London to Los Angeles. A coroner’s report later revealed that sleep apnea alongside other unidentified factors had led to her demise; also, a toxicology report indicated that there were drugs in her system. As the offspring of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Carrie Fisher was a Hollywood royalty, and she had been living her youth totally exposed to the public. However, through her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977, the actress turned into a superhero. She also played the role in several sequel films, turning Leia – and herself – into timeless representations of popularity, strength, intelligence, and courage.
Carrie Fisher’s Private Struggles and Lasting Legacy
Carrie Fisher suffered from depression, substance addiction and other severe mental health problems in secret. She even dropped the divorce papers on Paul Simon in 1984 as a result of their relationship being at the end of the road due to her personal issues. Not long afterward, it was her mental health that was labelled as bipolar disorder, the diagnosis was a turning point in her life narrative when she then started advocating for mental health rights. Through her character in Star Wars, fearless activism, and daughter Billie Lourd, her spirit continues to live on. A Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumous star in her honor unveiled by Lourd one could say in a Princess Leia costume showed how Fisher lives in people’s hearts and minds vividly. At the Hollywood Walk of Fame event, Lourd sprinkled glitter over the star to represent how her mother “left a sparkle mark on everyone she met.” On the day of the ninth memorial of her going away, let us look into the details of Carrie Fisher’s demise and the substantial legacy she has left behind us.
When was Carrie Fisher dead?
The actress was declared dead at 8:55 a.m. on December 27, 2016.
Simon Halls, a family spokesperson, confirmed the death of the actress in the statement to PEOPLE that was released on behalf of Lourd. It read, “Billie Lourd, with great sorrow, has to confirm that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher has passed away at the time 8:55 this morning.”
The statement continued, “She was loved all over the world and her loss will leave a huge gap in the world of fans. As a family we are grateful for the kind thoughts and prayers from everyone.”
How Did Carrie Fisher Die?
While on a flight from London to Los Angeles, Carrie Fisher suffered a cardiac arrest. When the plane landed, paramedics were waiting to receive it and as soon as they got hold of the actress, they took her for immediate treatment at a nearby hospital. The doctors treated her for a heart attack. However, she died in the hospital four days after the incident, despite continuous medical efforts.
How Did Carrie Fisher Die?
Initially, the coroner report of June 2017 indicated that Carrie Fisher’s death was mainly due to sleep apnea, alongside other, unnamed, factors. However, a toxicology report later revealed that at the time of her death her body contained traces of cocaine, methadone, ethanol, and opiates, but the police were not sure whether the drugs caused her death or not. Billie Lourd, her daughter, gave out the drug report results in a statement in PEOPLE magazine, where she said, “My mother has struggled with drug addiction and mental illness all her life” and “she finally gave in to them.”
“In all her work, she was very deliberately open about the social stigma surrounding these illnesses,” Lourd quoted her mother. “She revealed how shame, the source of so much suffering, not only affects people and their families hadfore these illnesses.”
Lourd also mentioned that Fisher would have loved for her death to encourage people to be more open about their weaknesses, get professional help, and demand more mental health funding, thus, naming shame and stigma as “the arch-enemies of progress.”
Debbie Reynolds, the mother of Carrie Fisher, died exactly 1 day after her daughter.
Debbie Reynolds, who was the mother of Carrie Fisher, died on the 28th of December in 2016 — merely a day after Carrie died. She was 84 years old when she died. Reynolds had a stroke, and that is the cause of her death. Her brother, Todd Fisher, told TMZ that she was thinking of Carrie all the time during her final moments and she even said, “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie.”
Only a day before, Reynolds had published a post on Facebook in which she thanked fans for embracing the “gifts and talents” of her “beloved and amazing daughter”. She signed it, “Love Carries Mother”.
Todd, at the public memorial in March 2017, said that his mom had always told him that she did not want to go to her daughter’s funeral and wanted to be buried next to her. “She said she wanted to be with Carrie, and she closed her eyes and went to sleep. It was a beautiful exit,” he told the audience.
How Was the Public’s Reaction to Carrie Fisher’s Death?
A few days after Carrie Fisher’s death, fans and friends from all over the world took to social media to express their grief, love and memories of the star.
Her Star Wars family also released a joint statement of their tribute to her. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said, “She was Princess Leia to the world but, to all of us, a very close friend.”
Mark Hamill, who portrayed Fisher’s brother Luke Skywalker in the movie, posted on social media a very heartfelt remembrance. “Losing such a vital, irreplaceable member of your family is never easy, but this is downright heartbreaking,” he wrote.
“Carrie was unique and belonged to all of us — whether she wanted to or not,” he went on to say. “She was OUR Princess, damn it, and the actress who played her developed into this stunning, incredibly strong, fiercely funny, take-charge woman who took all of us at a loss for words. She had such a big influence on both my professional and personal life. If she hadn’t been there, both would definitely have been far emptier.”
Star Wars Co‑Stars and Fans Honor Carrie Fisher After Her Death
Mark Hamill wrapped up his tribute with a heartfelt and funny line that well described their relationship: “I am thankful for the laughs, the insights, the generosity, and even the bratty, self-indulgent crap my beloved space-twin has thrown my way over the years.”
Billy Dee Williams who was Lando Calrissian in the movies, expressed his sorrow on X over Carrie’s death. “I was so saddened by the fact that she is no longer with us,” he said. “She was a friend to me and someone I respected and admired a lot,” he added, “The force has gone dark today!”
Peter Mayhew who was Chewbacca, also on X wrote, “Carrie was such a shining light wherever she went. I will miss her so much.”
In January 2017, Fisher’s family held a private burial while a public memorial honoring both the passing of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie was held in Los Angeles that March. The event featured a new tribute song by James Blunt whose melody was used for an emotional visual presentation of them.
How Did Carrie Fisher’s Death Influence the Star Wars Movies?
Carrie Fisher’s death was a major influence on how the Star Wars saga, particularly the final part, was written. However, it didn’t mark the end of Princess Leia’s character.
Director J.J. Abrams for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX, 2019) repurposed some closed-door clips of Fisher for Episode VII that he had filmed earlier. After getting the go-ahead from her daughter, Billie Lourd, he changed the screenplay so Leia could keep playing an important role in the film through that stored footage instead of the character being written out.
“We were all deeply fond of her,” Abrams said at Star Wars Celebration in April 2019. “The part is not recast, and you don’t let her simply disappear.”
Oscar Isaac remarked that the choice of letting Leia live on the screen in this manner was a tribute to the “iconic character” Fisher had brought to life and “it gives the audience, all of us, the chance to bid farewell.”
What Were The Words Of Billie Lourd Regarding The Loss Of Her Mother And Grandmother?
Billie Lourd opened up for the first time in public with an emotional Instagram post just over a week after Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds had passed away.
“Being showered with all your prayers and kindness these past few days has helped me when I was at a place where I really didn’t think I had any strength left,” she expressed.
“I can’t find any words that would adequately describe how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support have been everything to me.”
On what would have been Fisher’s 68th birthday, in October 2024, Lourd paid a tribute to her again on Instagram, pondering over her mother’s youth at the time of her death and stating that 60 is “far too young to die.”
“Some years my grief is a source of my feeling her love, some years it makes me angry, some years it makes me feel numb,” she confessed. “But this morning when I got up I just felt the sadness.”
What Has Billie Lourd Said About Mourning Her Mom and Grandmother?
Billie Lourd hasn’t hidden the fact that mourning two important family members – her mother, Carrie Fisher, and her grandmother, Debbie Reynolds – has been a difficult and confusing experience for her.
Lourd talked about the pain of her mother Fisher’s addiction by saying, “I tried every way possible to get my mom sober but unfortunately my mom was never able to break free from her addiction. Love and light to anyone who has lost a family member through drug addiction. You are not alone.”
On her mother’s birthday a year later, Lourd posted a message speaking about how she makes her mother present in her children’s life.
“My mom was really an amazing and beautiful person and I want my kids to know that so that’s why even though there are so many different emotions on these days I try to focus on the good ones I’ll tell my kids funny stories about her, watch one of her movies, eat one of her favorite foods, have a Coke with the biggest ice cube I can find.”
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