Mary Forsberg Weiland, the ex-wife of late singer Scott Weiland, published a letter on Rolling Stone in which she opens up about the death of the father of her two children: Noah, 15, and Lucy, 13.
On behalf of her kids, she writes: “December 3rd, 2015, is not the day Scott Weiland died. It is the official day the public will use to mourn him, and it was the last day he could be propped up in front of a microphone for the financial benefit or enjoyment of others. The outpouring of condolences and prayers offered to our children, Noah and Lucy, has been overwhelming, appreciated and even comforting. But the truth is, like so many other kids, they lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on December 3rd was hope.”
In the essay published just days after the rocker was found dead on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, Forsberg shares the family’s struggle with his substance abuse. “I won’t say he can rest now, or that he’s in a better place. He belongs with his children barbecuing in the backyard and waiting for a Notre Dame game to come on. We are angry and sad about this loss, but we are most devastated that he chose to give up,” she continues.
Forsberg and Weiland were married from 2000 to 2007. After their split, the former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver bandmate married photographer Jamie Wachtel in 2013.
Although authorities are still investigating Weiland’s cause of death, police found cocaine near Weiland’s body.
Read Forsberg’s full essay here.