David Crosby has spoken out about Beckett Cypher, Melissa Etheridge‘s son who died on Wednesday at the age of 21. After announcing the news on Twitter, Etheridge confirmed the cause of death was opioid addiction in an Instagram post Wednesday night. While Beckett Cypher was the son of the singer and her former partner, Julie Cypher, Beckett was born via artificial insemination and Crosby was his biological father.
After news of Beckett’s death broke Wednesday, Crosby replied to a tweet that suggested he had “no other part” in Beckett’s life other than being a donor. The Twitter user wrote, “I respectfully point out, David was their donor. They did not have a son ‘with’ him. He was Melissa and Julie’s child. They raised him. Like most donors, he played no other part,” the user’s tweet read. Crosby retweeted the comment, simply writing, “Not true.”
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He also responded to a fan who reached out to him with their condolences. “While I know that you were a surrogate, I also know that you just lost a son. I’m sorry, I know you’ve had a rough year,” the Twitter user wrote. “Maybe it’s a test,” Crosby replied. When someone else wondered if his Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young bandmates would “reach out to you regarding the loss of Beckett,” Crosby wrote, “I doubt it but …you never know.”
Back in 2000, both Etheridge and Crosby appeared on 60 Minutes to discuss their family situation, which was far outside the mainstream 20 years ago. “I do not believe that my children will be wanting in any way because they didn’t have a father in the home every single day,” Etheridge explained at the time. “What they have in the home is two loving parents. I think that puts them ahead of the game.”
While the cause of death was initially unknown, Etheridge later confirmed it was due to an overdose on Instagram. “Today I joined hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction,” she wrote. “My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today. He will be missed by those who loved him, his family and friends. My heart is broken. I am grateful for those who have reached out with condolences and I feel their love and sincere grief.”
“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. I will sing again, soon,” she added. “It has always healed me.”
Cypher’s sister, Bailey, also addressed the loss of her brother in an Instagram post on Wednesday. “I don’t know what to say,” she wrote. “Today we lost my brother. Too heartbroken and overwhelmed to be eloquent but appreciate all those who have reached out. I love you, Beckett. Fly high and watch over us.”
