On October 21, 2025, Billie Lourd shared a heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher, on what would have been her 69th birthday. In an emotional Instagram post, Lourd reflected on the complex emotions of grief and celebration, honoring her mother’s vibrant legacy while acknowledging the pain of her absence.
“My mom would’ve been 69 years old today,” Lourd wrote. “Which still feels shockingly young because this is the ninth birthday of hers I’ve ‘celebrated’ without her. It feels like she has been dead so long that she should be 100 at this point? … Every time I meet someone older than her I’m secretly jealous. Why couldn’t she have lived as long as they have? Anyone out there who has lost a loved one too young can maybe relate? So I can’t really call it a wholly happy birthday cause she isn’t here to enjoy the happy.”
Carrie Fisher passed away on December 27, 2016, at the age of 60, due to a cardiac arrest. Her death followed a medical emergency on a flight, leaving behind a legacy as a beloved actress, writer, and mental health advocate.
Lourd’s tribute, shared via Instagram, also emphasized her commitment to celebrating Fisher’s life despite the grief. “She was a brilliant magical human and I want them to know that,” Lourd continued. “So despite the many emotions I have on these days I try to celebrate the good parts. I’ll tell my kids funny stories about her, watch one of her movies, eat one of her favorite foods, have a Coke with a shit ton of ice. Grief is a weird soup of feelings and there are a lot of ingredients in it that are hard to swallow, but ultimately I think the soup has made me healthier — more cognizant of how short life is and more appreciative of all the happy in my life.”
Lourd also shared a tender yet painful moment with her son, reflecting on how she discusses Fisher’s death with him. “The other night my son asked me how she died — I told him that she didn’t take care of her body — telling him the truth without telling him the whole truth. … Death isn’t looming at our doorsteps the way it always was for her. That’s a conversation for later years. He didn’t push me for more answers so we left it at that. But it broke my heart. And made me mad at her. It’s weird being mad at a dead person because you don’t really have anywhere to put the emotion. But it’s still there and I’ve had to learn to allow myself to feel all the things — mad at her for not getting sober but also sad for her that she wasn’t able to get sober but also happy that she existed at all.”
You can read Billie Lourd's full message on her Instagram post embedded here:
Fisher was best known for her iconic role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise. She first portrayed the character in Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). Fisher reprised her role in the sequel trilogy, appearing in The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the latter using previously filmed footage due to her passing. Her portrayal of Leia, a fierce and inspiring leader, remains a cornerstone of the franchise.
Lourd’s tribute underscores the enduring impact of Fisher’s life and work, blending sorrow with cherished memories to keep her mother’s spirit alive.
