Todd Fisher Reflects on His Mother, Debbie Reynolds’ Faith: ‘Her Survival Capabilities Came From Her Belief In God’
By Movieguide® Staff
The late Debbie Reynolds, the mother to STAR WARS icon Carrie Fisher, relied on her faith in God in trials, according to her son, Todd Fisher.
Todd, 63, recently reflected on how his mother overcame the heartbreak and difficulties of multiple marriages.
“Her survival capabilities came from her belief in God,” Fisher told Closer Weekly. “Her faith got her through all the difficult times.”
Fox News reported:
Reynolds, known as America’s Sweetheart, married Eddie Fisher in 1955. The couple made a movie together, “Bundle of Joy,” which seemed to mirror the 1956 birth of their daughter, Carrie Fisher. The pair also had a son, Todd, named after Eddie’s close friend, Mike Todd.
The producer, who was married to Reynolds’ pal Elizabeth Taylor, died in a 1958 plane crash. Fisher consoled the devastated widow. Soon after, Eddie announced he was leaving his wife and two children to marry the actress. Taylor was assailed as a husband stealer, the pop singer as a deserter. As Reynolds won sympathy as the innocent victim, Eddie’s singing career never recovered.
According to Fisher, his mother strived to build a “perfect” family.
“My mother had this dream of having the perfect husband and the little family with a boy and girl,” Fisher explained. “It happened, and then it didn’t happen. Truthfully, Eddie was the best of the husbands. He didn’t do anything with malice, and he didn’t take a penny from her.”
After Eddie left Reynolds, Carrie and Todd, and in 1960, she married Harry Karl. However, in 1973, Reynolds discovered that Karl had gambled away her money.
“The financial ruin was bad,” Fisher said. “But the foreclosure on her house, that was just humiliating.”
“He loved my mother, for sure,” he continued. “But she didn’t have any clue that he was going to turn into this nightmare gambler. Between the gambling, drinking and bad judgment, it eventually led to him cheating on her as well.”
Despite Reynolds’ efforts, she accused her next husband, Richard Hamlett, of also stealing money.
“He was a very classy, good-looking guy,” Fisher said of Hamlett. “I liked him right up until I learned he was stealing from her.”
In 2016, Reynolds died just one day after Todd’s sister, Carrie, died.
“… Losing a mother and a sister so close together, it’s devastating,” he told Fox News at the time. “I think what was even more heartbreaking was the effect that it had on my niece. Watching the side effects of it are also very difficult… [But] looking at my mother, in particular, she would be furious if you were to go into depression and just become a recluse. She would want you to step out of it.”
“Now, of course, everybody needs to deal with it,” Fisher continued. “I’m a Christian. I happen to believe that we’ll all meet again… My mother was a Christian. She believed that. Carrie believed it. We’ll all meet again… Also, [Carrie] visits me in my dreams, and I appreciate that, too… It was very cathartic, writing the book. It was heartbreaking… But I had to do it. Without Carrie there to write all the family stories, I’m the last man standing. If something happened to me, those stories would be lost.”
Read Also: How Debbie Reynold’s Faith and Generosity Inspired SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN Co-Star Ruta Lee
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +3