Inside Carrie Fisher family feud as daughter says she's been 'publicly attacked'
Carrie Fisher will be honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame later today, but the celebratory occasion risks being overshadowed by a family dispute.
The Star Wars actress sadly died in 2016 at the age of 60 after going into cardiac arrest and she will now be getting the recognition she deserves.
However, Carrie's brother and two sisters will not be attending the ceremony after a row erupted between them and Carrie's daughter Billie Lourd.
Billie has decided not to invite her mother's siblings as a result of their "very complicated relationship", a decision Todd Fisher has slammed as "heartbreaking".
"It's heartbreaking and shocking to me that I was intentionally omitted from attending this important legacy event for my sister, Carrie," he said.
Taylor Swift seen looking cosy with Matty Healy's mum Denise Welch months agoTodd admitted he views the snub as "extremely hurtful and distressing as I was always a big part of everything my sister and mother did historically over their lifetimes."
Speaking to TMZ, he noted how he and Carrie watched on as their mother was given her second star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 1997.
He claims to have even started the process to make sure his late sister was given her own star.
"Frankly, it's a distressing situation and I don't deserve to be put in this position. As the only brother of the Carrie Fisher, being omitted from this special day is truly hurtful," he told the publication.
Carrie's half-sisters have also taken to Instagram to share their thoughts on the situation.
In a joint statement, Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher wrote: "Strangely we won’t be in attendance to celebrate our sister, whom we adored.
"For some bizarre, misguided reason our niece has chosen not to include us in this epic moment in our sister's career. This is something Carrie would have definitely wanted her siblings to be present for.
"The fact that her only brother and two sisters were intentionally and deliberately excluded is deeply shocking."
She said they have all been grieving the loss of Carrie and have given Billie the space to "do that in her own way".
The sisters added: "This isn't about a photo op on Hollywood Blvd…this is about celebrating the permanency of Carrie's legacy in this industry, taking her place with a star on the iconic walk of fame along side our parents."
Phillip Schofield's brother found guilty of sexually abusing teenage boyBillie has now released her own statement about her decision to leave her aunties and uncle off the guestlist.
"I have seen the postings and press release issued by my mother’s brother and sister," she began in a statement shared with The Mirror.
"I apologize to anyone reading this for feeling the need to defend myself publicly from these family members. But unfortunately, because they publicly attacked me, I have to publicly respond.
"The truth is I did not invite them to this ceremony. They know why."
Billie accused her mother's siblings of "capitalising" on Carrie's death by doing interviews and "selling individual books for a lot of money".
She claims to have found out about this through the press.
Billie said: "They never consulted me or considered how this would effect our relationship.
"The truth of my mom's very complicated relationship with her family is only known by me and those who were actually close to her.
"Though I recognize they have every right to do whatever they choose, their actions were very hurtful to me at the most difficult time in my life.
"I chose to and still choose to deal with her loss in a much different way.
"The press release Todd Fisher gave to TMZ and the posting Joely Fisher placed on Instagram, once again confirms that my instincts were right. To be clear -- there is no feud. We have no relationship.
"This was a conscious decision on my part to break a cycle with a way of life I want no part of for myself or my children."
Billie said she will be focusing on Carrie and "all that she accomplished" when she honours her mother at Hollywood Boulevard.
Billie is also said to have fallen out with her family after her grandmother Debbie Reynolds died, just one day after Carrie.
Debbie had left the majority of her $70million (£55million) estate to Carrie, Todd and her granddaughter Billie.
Todd allegedly believed Billie shouldn't have been entitled to the money from her grandmother because her mother had died before Debbie.
The tragedies led to a dispute over the inheritance of both Carrie and Debbie's estates, according to Radar Online.