Marie Osmond’s teenage son, Michael Blosil, 18, committed suicide Friday night by jumping from his downtown L.A. apartment at approximately 9 p.m., according to People (via Entertainment Tonight). Blosil, one of eight children Osmond raised with ex-husband Brian Blosil, had long struggled with depression — he entered a rehab facility for unspecified treatment in 2007 — and, according to People/ET, left a note saying he had no friends and could never fit in.
Donny Osmond contacted ET Saturday morning to say, “Please pray for my sister and her family.” Marie Osmond then released the following statement: “My family and I are devastated and in deep shock by the tragic loss of our dear Michael and ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time.”
UPDATE, 2/28: According to the LA Times, Blosil’s body was found near the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, where he was a student (and where Project Runway filmed its 6th season). A small memorial has sprung up outside. The LAPD will be conducting an autopsy today; friends and roommates reportedly told police Blosil was sober at the time of his death.
The Osmonds’ show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas has been indefinitely cancelled.
Blosil is the second child of Hollywood to take his own life this month: The body of Growing Pains star Andrew Koenig — son of Star Trek‘s Walter Koenig — was found Thursday in Vancouver. Koenig had also struggled with depression, and his father confirmed to police that his death was in fact a suicide.
This is so utterly tragic. My heart goes out to Marie and her family, knowing just how important family is to them.
Nshi… Really? That was necessary?
My heart bleeds for your family. Unfortunately I know how it feels to lose a child. The pain is so horrid, you can’t even explain to anyone what it feels like. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
I’m so very sorry for your loss Carol.
“and his father confirmed to police that his death was in fact a suicide.”
Wow, yet again ew is beyond horrible at journalism… Since when do family confirm anything to police? It is the police’s job to confirm whether cause of death is a suicide or not…
Thank you joe, I was just thinking the same thing!
I can’t imagine such pain. This is just so sad.
Joe, the family confirmed the death because it happened in Canada. Vancouver officials investigate, they report their findings to local authorities in California. The family must then confirm that they are in agreement with the reports submitted from the investigation. This isn’t bad journalism, it’s simply ignorance on your part!
My first thought after hearing this was, “Did he finally listen to the Osmond’s music?” And I already know what you’re going to say, I’m an insensitive a$$. I don’t deny it, but I’m willing to bet a similiar thought crossed your mind too.
I feel so sorry for Marie, because I am a mother and I know what she should be going through right now. May the lord give her the spirit and heart to accept the death of her son. Paparrazi this is a difficult period for this family, so PLEASE LEAVE THEM ALONE.
This is sooooo heartbreaking, especially the part about the note that he left. My condolences to the entire Osmond/Blolsil families.
Are you serious? You say that because you are a mother you know what she should be going through? Give me a break. Unless you have lost a child to suicide I don’t think you have any idea what she IS going through let alone what you think she SHOULD be going through. Oh, and news flash – everyone is different on this planet which means that people mourn in their own way. Good lord. And then to address the paparrazi – are you just completely insane? Blech. Go be a mother and get off the internet.
Just so shocking, right after Andrew Koenig’s suicide. We have to start looking out for each other. My prayers are with the Osmond Family. And I just want to paraphrase what Walter Koenig said: If you feel like you just can’t handle it anymore, just talk to somebody. There are people out there who really, really care. Priscilla, I agree with you that the paparazzi should leave the Osmond Family alone at this time.
And what’s scary about all this is that this stuff tends to happen in threes. With Koenig and Osmond being #1 & 2, who’s next?
My sympathies to both the Osmonds and the Koenigs. Tragic tragic loss.
Hello again! I see this is an older post, but I had to stop in and leave a comment here, too! Donny Osmond now that would have been a fun mnetieg! I would have enjoyed it. This takes me back a bit boy I’m feeling old right now! Lol!! Well, I hope you got that external hard drive fixed .. mind if I ask which one it was? I recently had major computer trouble, and finally made the switch to a Mac, along with an external hard drive. I backed up all my photos, and sure hope nothing like that happens, but, if it does, I do have Carbonite where they’re all safely backed up, just in case! I do have a Flickr account, but I’ve also thought about switching to SmugMug. Well, one thing at a time! Hope you found those pink heels, and cute jewelry you were looking for, for that wedding! Again, Yvonne, you have a blessed weekend!
Does anyone know if he was gay? I ask because there are a high number of male teen mormon suicides because of the church’s stance on homosexuality.
No parent should have to bury a child for any reason. God bless these families at this devastating time. Kindness and prayers are the most appropriate responses.
my prayers go out to his family
So tragic my prayers and condolences to Marie and her family
may our heavenly father be with you in your time of sorry. thank him for giving you the knowledge you will be together again. oue prays are with you. your sister
That’s funny – I don’t seem to recall Julia Osmond. If you were sisters I imagine you’d pick up the phone rather than posting on ths site, but whatever.
sisters in Chirst is what she meant–I don believe that is what she meant anyway. I could be wrong.
forgive the misspelling–was do believe not don believe
I am so sorry for your loss, my prayers are with you and your family.
Not everyone can play baseball. Some people find out after trying that baseball just isn’t the game they like. As much as we would like to define depression as a sickness – it isn’t. It is a state of mind. If you can help someone successfully make it through the hard times maybe they can find something worth living for. Sometimes a good like is unattainable. How can you blame him? Life sucks.
Just wondering if you’ve ever actually suffered from depression. I have, and have to deal with it on a daily basis. Just having someone to help you through the hard times isn’t enough, depression isn’t just about hard times and feeling sad. It’s rooted much deeper than that. Unfortunately for people that do suffer for depression, there’s people like you out there that say it isn’t a disease and that they should be able to get though it or over it. Depression isn’t just something you get over, it takes help and the courage to seek that help since unfortunately there’s still a stigma attached to depression or any other mental illness that might aflict someone. Why not be on the positive side and try to understand what you’re talking about before making some general assumption on the topic.
I deeply sorry to hear this, all my thoughts and prayers go out to Marie and her family, God Bless him and the family too.
Marie Osmond has one of the sweetest souls and my heart breaks for her hearing this news. God bless her and give her strength to get through this.
I grew up with the Donny & Marie show, so they’ll both always have a special place for me. How tragic and my heart goes out to Marie and her entire family.
I am so sorry to read this. What a tragedy.
This is heart breaking to hear. No one can possibly know the pain the family will go through, I’m happy that Marie has such a supportive family. God Bless.
Dear God, she’s already endured so much heartache and now this? Boy, how unfair can life be to one person…
Yeah, life has really been unfair to Marie. Have you ever seen her bank account?
What kind of a moron are you, phil? Life’s worth is not measured by a bank account. You don’t think she would empty that bank account in one second to have her son back?
That is just sick, Phil. It certainly tells everyone what your values are.
Why do some people think that just because you have money that you don’t hurt like everyone else when you lose a loved one? What an incredibly ignorant and callous think to say. I hope that when your time comes to mourn the loss of a loved one that you are not surrounded by people like YOU.
*thing* to say
Carmex, you’re absolutely right, but Phil was right to respond like that to 4rocket’s facetious or inane remark. Marie has had a life full of challenges, but who hasn’t? I’d daresay as a member of the loving and eternally popular Osmond clan, she’s been handed more and had an easier time of things than most of us. Phil was just putting it in perspective.
Mmmmmm nope, I think Phil was just being a HEINIE!!!
I’m sure she’d give every bit of that money to have her son back.
There’s a time for statements like that and this is not it.
No one, no matter how much they make, should have to endure this type of tragedy.
@ Zach:
Eating disorders, post-partum depression, divorce, death of parents, son who just committed suicide battled depression for years prior to death… I don’t think going through those things are any easier when you’re rich than when you’re not. You and Phil are the ones making “inane”, as well as ridiculously insensitive remarks. Still amazes how some people STILL think money solves all your problems.
I mean it still amazes ME how some people still think money solves everything.
Nice Phil-real sensitive. Money doesn’t buy happiness, and Marie Osmond is proof of that. She has had a lot to deal with in her life, and has overcome it all with grace. My Prayers are with her entire family at this time.
she’s experiencing something horrific don’t speculate on anything in her life right now, even her fortune or upbringing..this is a time to just pray.
Amen, Jones. Let’s leave her be, and pray for Marie, her family and everyone who loved her son.
Millions of people go through the same or worse hardships then this celebrity. Its that her problems are highlighted, that she gets the wide sympathy while other suffer in silence that can I think make people lash out when a celebrity is pitied.
I for one have endured a bit these last few years (not going to post a list) and YES I get a twinge of “oh poor them” when I hear about the hard lives of some celebrities. But in the end I realize these are human beings too, no matter there bank account.
Maybe “God” is punishing her.
Vary sad about this news. I hope the family will get through this difficult time.