Why Chris Daughtry Feels Guilt After the Deaths of His Daughter & Mom

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Chris Daughtry is still trying to process his feelings after losing his mother and daughter just days apart.

During a June 23 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the American Idol alum recalled the most difficult parts of dealing with the deaths of his 25-year-old stepdaughter Hannah, who died by suicide Nov. 12, and his mother Sandra, who passed away from cancer a few days earlier.

"I dealt with both differently, processed both losses very differently—the common denominator in both is the guilt," he told host Kelly Clarkson. "The ‘I wish I would have said this. I wish I would've done this. I wish I would've called more.'"

Chris added, "Those moments of the guilt is the hardest because you can't do anything about it. 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."

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Last November, Hannah was found dead in her Tennessee home by her boyfriend. In a tribute post to his stepdaughter—whose mom is Chris' wife Deanna Daughtry—the singer said that he was "absolutely devastated and heartbroken." Reflecting on his mom's passing just days earlier, he acknowledged with her he was "blessed with the chance to say goodbye."

Though some believed Hannah's death was being investigated as a homicide—which the family quickly shut down—Chris and Deanna were open about the circumstances surrounding her tragic passing.

Chris Daughtry
Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

"From a young age, Hannah struggled with mental illness and was in and out of therapy and treatment centers," they shared in a January statement. "As Hannah got older, she struggled to find her footing and began using drugs and often found herself abusive relationships."

The couple continued, "Just months after losing her biological father to suicide, Hannah was the victim of a crime and was shot in the face. We did everything we could to support her and get her the help she needed to recover from these tragedies and get her life back on track."

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).