Debbie Reynolds did not die of a broken heart after daughter Carrie Fisher died 24 hours earlier, son says
The pair will be buried beside each other at a joint funeral in the Hollywood Hills
DEBBIE Reynolds' son has revealed his mum did NOT die of a broken heart but simply “left to be with” her daughter Carrie Fisher – who had died the day before.
Todd Fisher says that when the acting legend heard that the Princess Leia star had passed away, she said: “I want to be with Carrie.”
He said: “And then she was gone.”
Speaking with ABC News, Fisher says Reynolds wanted to join her daughter because she “didn’t want to leave Carrie and did not want her to be alone.”
He insists his mother, who starred alongside Gene Kelly in the iconic Singin’ in the Rain, died out of love for her child.
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He said: “She didn’t die of a broken heart.”
Star Wars icon Fisher, 60, passed away on December 27, days after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles.
Reynolds, 84, died the following day from a stroke after hearing the tragic news.
The pair will have a joint private funeral in the Hollywood Hills and will be buried alongside each other.
Reynolds' only surviving ex-husband has paid a glowing tribute to her calling her a "wonderful woman" - even though the Hollywood actress once branded him "the devil".
Retired real estate developer Richard Hamlett - Reynold's third husband - told he was "deeply saddened" by their deaths.
The 80-year-old admitted even though he hasn't spoken to his ex for more than a decade, he thought Reynolds was a "wonderful woman".
He said: "She was a sweet, sweet girl. She loved her kids so much. For her to lose Carrie, that would have been too much. She died of a broken heart, that's exactly what happened to her."
The pair were married for 12 years, from 1984 until 1996, but her third and final marriage ended in divorce.
According to , Reynolds met Hamlett in 1983 at a party while taping a television special in Reno, Nevada.
In an interview with , Hamlett proposed to Reynold who was 52 at the time, on their first date.
"I had known her through the movies and had this vision of this sweet gal next door," Hamlett revealed. "And by dessert, I said to myself: ‘She really is Tammy.’"
Throughout their marriage, Reynolds financially supported Hamlett in opening a small hotel and casino, which went bust, rendering her bankrupt - and thus, the end of their relationship.
In her 2013 memoir - Unsinkable - speaking about Hamlett, she wrote: “I’d married the devil.”
The last time the couple spoke was at a bankruptcy court more than a decade ago, but Hamlet said he put a call in to Reynolds to check on her after Fisher passed away.
Hamlett said: "The next thing I know she was in the hospital. It's such a sad thing, losing both her and Carrie."
Reynolds was rushed to hospital on Wednesday from her son Todd's home.
She had reportedly been making plans for the funeral of her daughter.
Carrie died at UCLA Medical Center in LA. She was rushed to the hospital on Friday after suffering a heart attack on a plane.
Following her stroke, Reynolds’ condition was described as “fair to serious” when she arrived at Cedars-Sinai hospital in LA.
Dramatic footage showed emergency services rushing her from her son’s home following a 911 call made at around 1pm on Wednesday.
Reynolds shot to fame in Singin’ In The Rain, at just 19 years old.
She was not a trained dancer or singer but proved herself to be a fast learner, dancing alongside Hollywood great Kelly in the 1952 classic.
She also played iconic roles in Tammy And The Bachelor and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, for which she received an Oscar nomination.
Much of the money she made went towards assembling - including the ruby slippers from The Wizard Of Oz, tuxedos once owned by the Rat Pack and Orson Welles’ fur coat from Citizen Kane.
But she was disappointed to have to sell this off after failing to find a home for her planned "Hollywood Motion Picture Museum".
Reynolds had two children with singer and first husband Eddie Fisher - Star Wars actress Carrie, and director Todd.
She famously divorced Fisher in 1959 after his affair with Elizabeth Taylor, and went on to marry twice more.
Her relationship with daughter Carrie was chronicled in Fisher’s semi-autobiographical book, Postcards From The Edge, which was adapted into a film starring Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine.
Reynolds was said to be distraught at the death of her Star Wars legend daughter, who played Princess Leia in the hugely popular franchise.
Reynolds took to Facebook to pay tribute to her "amazing daughter" and thanked fans for their prayers that are “guiding her to her next stop.”
The post said: “Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter.
“I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop. Love Carries Mother [sic]”.
The post gathered more than 70,000 likes and 10,000 comments from fans sending their love within just an hour.
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