Louis Tomlinson has been on an emotional roller coaster since One Direction went on hiatus. One wonderful spot of joy was welcoming his son, Freddie, who is now four. Unfortunately, he lost both his mother and his sister in two years’ time. Louis’ mother, Johannah Deakin, lost her battle with leukemia in 2016. Louis knew it was coming but that didn’t make it any easier to process. Johannah was only 43 years old. Last March, Louis’ stepsister, Félicité, died after an accidental overdose. She was 18. The two deaths of people so close to him in such a short amount of time caused Louis to hit “rock bottom.”
Louis Tomlinson is opening up about the “dark times” in his life.
In a new interview with The Guardian, the One Direction alum spoke about losing his sister, Félicité, in March, just over two years after their mother Johannah Deakin died of leukemia in December 2016.
“That whole dark side I’ve gone through, it sounds stupid to say, but it gives me strength everywhere else in my life because that’s the darkest s— that I’m going to have to deal with,” Tomlinson, 27, told the newspaper. “So it makes everything else, not feel easier and not less important, but, in the grand scheme of things, you see things for what they are, I suppose.”
The singer also said his fans have been an important support system as he mourns.
“I’m sure every artist says this, but I do believe it,” he said. “We’ve been through some dark times together and those things I’ve been through, they carry a weight, emotionally, on the fans as well. And I felt their love and support. I remember really clearly when I lost my mum, that support was mad.”“I’ve been to rock bottom and I feel like, whatever my career’s going to throw in front of me, it’s going to be nothing as big or as emotionally heavy as that,” he continued. “So, weirdly, I’ve turned something that’s really dark into something that empowers me, makes me stronger.”
“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me,” Tomlinson added. “That’s not how I feel for myself. Somehow it fuels me.”
This poor guy. It’s a lot to deal with in such a short amount of time. Louis is estranged from his biological father. His stepdad, Mark Tomlinson, whose name Louis took on, and his mom divorced just before Louis hit it big. Fortunately, he has three other step-sisters, although one is a product of his estranged father’s second marriage so I don’t know how close they are. I’ll bet Louis did bottom out dealing with this, it’s like a one-two punch. I’m impressed by his resilience. I understand what he’s saying, once you survive the worst, you realize it does get easier. Not better, but easier, so you feel like you can survive anything. It’s also a really healthy outlook on his career. So often we freak out that if our career takes a hit, it’s the end of the world. But when someone close dies, it becomes a lot more obvious where your emotional investment is. Jobs are easier to come by than family members to whom you were close.
I like that he’s opening up and letting his fans know 1) how much they helped him and 2) that he’s going to be okay. I hope he continues to gain strength from his experiences. At least then, something good will have come from tragedy.
Photo credit: WENN Photosand Instagram
I didn’t really have any opinions of him before, but this really makes me very impressed with him. I try to have perspective on things to… Not that my problems are important where they should be minimized… But I think the death of a loved one helps you to have perspective about what’s important in the grand scheme of things. Kudos to him for sharing his story
They’re his half sisters not stepsisters.
Bless his heart, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to deal with all of that. It sounds like he is doing remarkably well, which is so impressive. I think all of the One Direction guys turned out really well adjusted and wise, considering the unbelievable amount of fame and scrutiny they had to deal with starting at age 15/16.
How awful. I hope he’s okay.
So sad. I hadn’t realized that they announced the cause of death for Felicite but I see the inquest just happened a few weeks ago.
Oh man, poor guy. He really seemed to cherish his mom and step dad and the relationship he has with all of his siblings. I hope he finds strength in his suffering and continues on to a wonderful and successful journey.
I’m pretty sure she was his half sister not step sister.
Brutal, but I completely get where he’s coming from. Once you hit your own personal bottom, you realize what really matters, and gain strength from what you’ve been through. Nothing in my life currently (and I am a collection of flaming dumpster fires) is as bad as losing my son in 2010 and so I endure because it’s not the death of a child.
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. Sending you lots of virtual hugs
When I read his interview, I was startled when he said losing his mom and sister were the worst things that could ever happen. Right away I thought, “Nope. You have a son; nothing is as terrible as losing a child.” I’m so very very sorry for your loss, and I give you kudos for enduring and even gaining strength from what you’ve been through. Virtual hugs from me too, and hope your life improves dramatically.
I also lost my mom in 2014 (actually yesterday, 9/26 was the 5th anniversary of her death); my sister in 2016, and my fiancé in 2015 (split up–he didn’t die). Also in 2015 broke my wrist and now have a plate and screws in it, and got shingles. Two of my other siblings I haven’t spoken with since 2016 because of my mother’s estate which I was the executor. Actually, he’s in a much better place than I am. I am sorry for his loss though.