Chris Daughtry Opens Up About Guilt Over His Mom & Stepdaughter’s Deaths: ‘I Tend to Beat Myself Up a Lot Over It’

Chris Daughtry suffered great losses in a very short period of time last year. After first saying goodbye to his mother, who died of cancer in November, then his stepdaughter, who died by suicide a few days later, the former American Idol star is opening up on The Kelly Clarkson Show about the complicated feelings he’s been experiencing in the months since.

Speaking with Kelly Clarkson in a Thursday (June 23) appearance on her daytime talk show, the 42-year-old musician discussed what it was like to lose both his mother, Sandra, and Hannah, the daughter of his wife Deanna, in the span of days. “I dealt with both differently, processed both losses very differently,” he shared. “The common denominator in both is the guilt. The ‘I wish I would have said this. I wish I would’ve done this. I wish I would’ve called more.'”

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Hannah’s death was particularly shocking, with the 25-year-old having been found dead in her Tennessee home by her boyfriend. Afterward, Daughtry released a statement that read: “I just recently in the last week lost my mother to cancer but I was blessed with the chance to say goodbye and I was processing it privately. We never got to say goodbye to our precious Hannah and it’s another huge hit to our family … Hannah, I love you and I miss you. I wish I could hold you. This hurts so deeply.”

“Those moments of the guilt is the hardest because you can’t do anything about it,” he continued to Clarkson. “There’s always going to be reminders of what you could’ve done or whatever, and I tend to beat myself up a lot over it.”

The Daughtry frontman also bonded with Clarkson over their shared American Idol roots. The former came in fourth place on the singing competition show’s fifth season, meanwhile Clarkson famously won its very first year.

Watch Daughtry’s interview below:

If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal ideation, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (or dial 988) for free, confidential support 24/7.

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