Robert Carradine’s eldest daughter, Ever Carradine, is getting candid about her grief after his heart-wrenching death at 71.
“After one of the hardest weeks of my life, I went to see my friend @joannavargasnyc,” Ever, 51, wrote via Instagram on Friday, February 27, referring to the renowned facialist. “She does what she always does, took care of my heart and took a few years off my face.”
Ever’s dad, beloved actor Robert, died on Monday, February 23.
“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,” a representative for the Carradine family said in a statement. “In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon [of] light to everyone around him.”
The message continued, “We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with bipolar disorder. We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness. At this time, we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss.”
The official manner of Robert’s death was listed as suicide, according to Los Angeles Medical Examiner documents viewed by Us Weekly. The docs also noted that the cause was ruled as sequelae of anoxic brain injury, which the Brain Injury Association of America defines as a type of acquired brain injury that occurs when brain cells don’t receive enough oxygen.
In addition to Ever, Robert is survived by his brothers, two younger children and multiple grandchildren. (The Lizzie McGuire alum shared Ever with Susan Snyder, as well as kids Marika and Ian with Edie Mani.)
Ever, who followed in her dad’s acting footsteps, broke her silence on his death the following day.
“My dad died today. My sweet, funny dad, who’s only 20 years older than I am, who never missed an opportunity to drive me to the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing, is gone,” the Handmaid’s Tale alum wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, February 24. “If you knew my dad, you know he’s the guy that’s always there. Invite him to dinner? He’s in. Kid’s Little League game in Simi Valley, just tell him what time. Red-eye flight and need a ride home from the airport, just text him your column number after you get your bags.”
She added, “Growing up in the 70s and 80 with a single dad in Laurel Canyon is not exactly the recipe for a grounded childhood, but somehow mine was. Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad. I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back. I think it’s partly because we basically grew up together.”
According to Ever, she long thought of Robert as her “partner.”
“We were in it together. I never wanted to let him down, and I wanted him to trust that I had his back the same way that he had mine,” she said in her emotional social media tribute. “I learned a lot from my dad — never put a horse away wet, don’t let hose water dry on your car, change your own wiper blades and never wave a forced call. I also learned something that was more foundational than I ever really understood, and that was what a waste of time it is to hold a grudge. My dad was a lover, not a fighter.”
Ever concluded, “He was all heart, and in a world so full of conflict and division, I think we can all take a page out of his book today, open our hearts and feel and share the love. I have a thousand stories and I’m being flooded with memories — so if you see me, please ask me about my dad, Bobby Carradine, who made me who I am.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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