OWN Host Dr. Laura Berman and Her Husband Detail How Their Family Is Doing After Son's Fatal Overdose

People
·2 min read
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Dr. Laura Berman continues to grieve the death of her 16-year-old son Sammy.

While recently chatting with the True Crime Daily podcast, the 51-year-old OWN television host spoke candidly about how she and her husband, Samuel Chapman, are dealing with the aftermath of Sammy's overdose in February.

In the interview, Chapman spoke about the horrific moment of discovering his son's body and "dealing with terrible PTSD" from finding his late son "on his back, having aspirated his own vomit."

"That's what we walked in on," he said. "[I] had to resuscitate my own son, or at least try to, until the paramedics got here … no one should have to go through that."

Laura Berman/instagram Dr. Laura Berman and her son Sammy

RELATED: OWN Host Laura Berman Says She 'Regularly' Tested Her Son, 16, for Drugs Before His Fatal Overdose

True Crime Daily/YouTube

Berman previously announced the tragic news of her son's death to her followers on Feb. 7 on Instagram.

"My beautiful boy is gone. 16 years old. Sheltering at home," she began her post. "A drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat and gave him fentanyl laced Xanax or Percocet (toxicology will tell) and he overdosed in his room."

"My heart is completely shattered and I am not sure how to keep breathing," she continued. "I post this now only so that not one more kid dies. We watched him so closely."

Two days after Sammy's death, Berman and Chapman also spoke out in the hopes of helping other parents. "I didn't intend for us to be on the news, I just felt helpless," she told NBC News' Kate Snow on Today. "All I was thinking about is that this couldn't happen again and I was so furious and helpless."

RELATED VIDEO: Dr. Laura Berman Discusses Her Son's Experience with Drugs Before His Overdose

During their conversation on the True Crime Daily podcast, Chapman also spoke about the couple's two other children — sons Ethan and Jackson — and how they are handling their brother's death. "They're doing not that great, I would say," Chapman said.

"One of them gets pretty nervous and is worried about accidentally dying, because his brother did, and the other one is getting triggered by all of the murder you see on TV," he added, noting that he similarly experiences those same feelings.

But Chapman knows these are normal feelings and thoughts for their family to be experiencing after such a tragic loss.

"There's nothing for it except time and feeling your feelings," he said. "I think if there weren't some PTSD and some lingering nervousness, sadness and anger, we wouldn't be human."

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.