Debbie Reynolds ‘willed herself’ to die to be with daughter Carrie Fisher

When Debbie Reynolds passed away just one day after the heartbreaking death of her daughter Carrie Fisher in 2016, the world assumed it must have been the result of a broken heart, but Debbie’s surviving son Todd Fisher has insisted that isn’t true.

Todd, 60, revealed that his mum, who died at the age of 84, actually willed herself to die so that Star Wars legend Carrie wouldn’t have to be alone, according to the Daily Mail.

Debbie’s son Todd has penned a new book, titled My Girls: A Lifetime with Carrie and Debbie, in which he speaks openly about losing both women in such quick succession, as well as lifting the lid on some of his sister’s biggest regrets.

The American actor and director wrote: “The common theory about Mom’s passing was that, after losing Carrie, Debbie Reynolds died of a broken heart. Take it from the son who was there, who knew her better than anyone else on earth — that’s simply not true.

“Debbie Reynolds willed herself right off this planet to personally see to it that Carrie would never be alone.

“That had been her driving force all of Carrie’s life, including having me so that Carrie wouldn’t be an only child, and it continued to be her driving force when Carrie left.”

Star Wars icon Carrie, who is best remembered as Princess Leia Organa from the movie franchise, died on December 27 2016, four days after suffering a heart attack on board a flight to Los Angeles. Singin’ in the Rain star Debbie died one day later, on December 28, after suffering a stroke.

Todd revealed that, following his sister’s unexpected death, his mother told him: “I want to be with Carrie.”

Read more: Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia in ‘Star Wars’, dies aged 60.

Todd also revealed that his sister regretted breaking her silence over her affair with her married co-star Harrison Ford, in her 2016 book The Princess Diarist. Fisher revealed that the pair had a fling while they were filming Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977, when she was just 19 and Ford, was 33.

He reveals in the book that his mother did not support Fisher’s decision to make the affair public, and said she later told Reynolds, “you’re right, I shouldn’t have told that story”.

Read more: The heartwarming strength of the relationship between Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.

The Hollywood mother and daughter duo had a complicated relationship, which was portrayed in 1990 movie Postcards from the Edge, based on Fisher’s 1987 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. However, the pair were said to be extremely close when they died, having recently filmed documentary Bright Lights together.

The pair were honoured at a joint funeral service at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills on January 7, 2017.

What do you think? Were you a fan of the two actresses? Do you think people can really will themselves to die?