Paul Simon Speaks Out on Death of Ex-Wife Carrie Fisher

Image by Getty Images

Paul Simon spoke out about the death of his ex-wife, Carrie Fisher, on Wednesday. Simon, who has been married to Edie Brickell since 1992, shared his second marriage with Fisher between August 1983 and July 1984.

Fisher died Tuesday morning after suffering what was described as a massive heart attack on Friday while on a flight from London to Los Angeles.

Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, confirmed the death on Tuesday. “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” the statement read. Lourd was Fisher’s daughter with talent agent Bryan Lourd who Fisher referred to as her second husband in interviews, although the two were never officially married.

“Yesterday was a horrible day. Carrie was a special, wonderful girl. It’s too soon,” Simon wrote on Twitter early Wednesday morning, adding his voice to a chorus of people who knew and loved Fisher during her lifetime, and have shared memories since her death.

“No words,” Fisher’s “Star Wars” co-star Mark Hamill wrote on Twitter shortly after news of her death was confirmed. “Devastated.”

“Carrie was one-of-a-kind…brilliant, original,” Harrison Ford said in a statement. “Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely.”

J.J. Abrams posted a hand-written note which read, “You didn’t need to meet Carrie Fisher to understand her power. She was just as brilliant and beautiful, tough and wonderful, incisive and funny as you could imagine. What an unfair thing to lose her. How lucky to have been blessed with her at all.”—Reuters

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $325,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO