Marie Osmond Talks to Oprah About Son's Suicide: 'I Knew Something Was Wrong'

By PopEater Staff Posted Nov 11th 2010 04:52PM

Nearly nine months after her son's tragic death by suicide, Marie Osmond is finally opening up about her loss. Osmond's 18-year-old son, Michael Blosil, took his own life by jumping off a Los Angeles apartment building in February. The singer, who adopted Michael with ex-husband Brian Blosil, told Oprah of the tragedy, "I've been through some tough things in my life [but] this is probably the hardest thing I've been through."

Osmond admitted to understanding her son's plight, having suffered from post-partum depression herself. One of their last conversations was telling, she says. "When I heard him say to me 'I have no friends,' it brought back when I went through depression," she said. "Because you really feel so alone."

"I said, 'Mike, I'm going to be there Monday, and it's going to be OK,' but depression doesn't wail til Monday."

Osmond painfully recalled the night that Michael died, starting with a phone call from him just as she was going on stage during her Vegas show. She said that she was going through a costume change when her phone rang. "I couldn't get to it," she admitted. Later when she called him back, he didn't pick up.

"I believe in female intuition. I especially believe in mother's intuition. I knew something was wrong."

She asked her daughter to stay with her that night in the hotel and at 2 AM the phone rang. On the other line was a security guard from her gated community. "[He] said 'there are some people here to see you. It's the police I believe' ... He said, 'well it's the coroner's office.'"

"I knew it was Michael," she said with tears streaming.

According to the police report, the time of death was around 9:30 PM. Osmond told Oprah that he called her about 45 minutes before that. "You know some particulars are so in stone, other things are just like this wave that comes in and out of your heart. I've been through some tough times in my life, Oprah. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever been through."

When asked by Oprah if she thought things would have been different if she had just spoken to Michael when he called, Osmond responded by saying, "I think if you live in 'what ifs,' you stop living."

While many media outlets have reported that Michael's suicide stemmed from the conflict between his Mormon upbringing and his reported homosexuality, Osmond denied these claims. "My son was not gay," she said. "And it wouldn't matter if he was."

She added, "I know I'll see him again because of what I believe."

She told Oprah that Blosil started abusing drugs when he was 12 and took several trips to rehab, however, she disputed any notion that narcotics played a role in his death.

"My son was clean when he jumped," she said of the teen, who was a student at L.A.'s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. "There were no drugs in his system, but I believe that the ramifications of them were there. That was the hard part."

Blosil left a suicide note, and Osmond did her best to summarize it: "He basically said he knew that morning was the last time he would get up and brush his teeth, make his bed, those kinds of things. He had made his decision, I guess. And uh, [he wrote] that he loved his family ... The pain was so intense."

Osmond also confirmed rumors that her son had attempted suicide while she was competing on 'Dancing With the Stars' in 2007. "During that time I was going through a very public divorce. Going through custody battles ... and he received some news that something had happened to some of his family members ... and he couldn't deal with it. He promised he would never do it again."

Tags: Marie Osmond

Comments

(312)

Saturday 13 November

By Amy

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Touching interview-I am the same age as Marie and I also have an 18 year old son. He sounded like such a great guy-the world lost a kind soul-he thought he didn't have friends-and yet today millions shed a tear because he's gone.

Thursday 11 November

By jim

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marie should have jumped with her son so i dont have to watch her weight loss lies on tv

By LIuxingyu

Wanna know where people go to snag an i-nter-racial rel-ations-hip, say, Just for future reference? “i-nterr-acial Central”? “San Carlos” ? or “San Francisco”?*** BlackWhite Cupid C 0/om *** is the real place that is packed with them. ;)

By PJ

Jim...you are one sick bastard!

By onejumpandthatsit

I heard the homeless people gave him a 9.5 for the dive. Good score for the first dive.

By J.B.

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Marie, you are amazing. Touching show...BUT... your upper lip is as distracting as Lisa Rinna's was, it doesn't move!!! Stop it ladies with the damn lip work. We'd all rather see an aging lip than these floating devices!!!

Friday 12 November

By kevin

Marie Osmond and her never ending drama. Sheesh!

By Slash

Another fake cry by the famous fake singer & dancer, Marie Osmond

By Donna Van Cott

I just watched the most amazing interview with Marie Osmond on Oprah.
The tears will not stop. I have not lost my son to suicide but have not seen or spoken to him in 7 years. I lost him to Bipolar disorder and mental illness. There is not a day that goes by that I do not morn the loss of this 32 year old "child" in my life.
It took my marriage of 32 years along with my soul.
God bless Marie in her loss. I could only hope that my son would love me the way Michael loved her.
She has faced this with the most poignant dignity and the love of a Mother we should all be lucky enough to know.

By Liz

I am so sorry for what you are going through

By lyn

Read your post with tears in my eyes. So sorry :(

By Rebecca

Your post made me count my blessings. Sending good thoughts your way, sweetie.

By lala

You haven't lost your son. He loves you.

By TB

I understand your pain Donna as I am going through the same thing. Bi-Polar Disorder in a child - no matter their age - affects every member of the family. I know, I have lost my best friend of 24 years who has been my husband for the last 10 over mainly this issue in our 22 year old daughter. It seems that the stress of a Bi Polar child affects fathers so much different that it does mothers. Mothers just can't run from it and it affects your whole life and world. Trust me, I totally understand,.

By TLW

I can only imagine your pain, I'm so sorry, mental illness is in my family too and alot of depression. I hope your son gets help and you reunite with him, God bless and keep you.

By Linda K

Donna, I know what you are going through. One of my sons has schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. When he is on his medication, he does well. When he refuses to take his medications, he has auditory hallucinations, believing that we are laughing at him, etc. and has been quite violent at times. We had to get a restraining order twice, and the last time he ended up in jail for 7 months. Luckily, he went from there to a transitional living home. He is out on his own as of yesterday and I am terrified that he will stop taking his medication now that no one will be watching him take it. All I can do is pray. Love is not always enough.

By gailneuman

Donna, I am sorry about your son and I can totally relate because my very bright now 29 year old daughter hasn't spoken to me in over 4 years. She's bipolar diagnosed by me , a nurse and refuses to go to the doctor for meds. Has a hard time with friendships, jobs, etc. So sad-she's my only daughter out of our 4 kids.

By janct

My son has schizoaffective disorder bipolar type also. He is 22 and I pray that someday he will stay on his medications. He is always in the hospitals. He has been very suicidal in the past. I truly feel for Marie Osmond. I wish her all the best and will pray for her.

By Calimom

Donna,
Bipolar is so devestating to a family- I know, my husband has bipolar disorder and it's been the toughest thing I've ever dealt with. I thought it was the end of my marriage, but with the right medication and therapy we've gotten through it and are preparing for next time. My husband has a doctorate level education, is back at work and doing well. I know that your son can be at that place too. Wishing you the best and to everyone else who has to deal with the stigma and hardship of mental illness.

By anomismevaughn

I also lost my son 3 yrs ago due to his wife hating my family. He lives down the way from me and my girls and he will not talk to any of us. Even now and then he will bump in to one of his cousins and say tell my mother and sister I am so sorry buy my wife cannot accept my family. I to cry every day. It is one of the worse pain a parent can go through. I lost my mom,dad,huband through death. But the lost of my son can drive a parent mad. God bless all who have lost a child through death or seperation.

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