Denise Truscello/WireImageScott Weiland's ex-wife has penned an honest, heart-wrenching letter reflecting on the life and struggles of the late Stone Temple Pilots singer, who died last Thursday.
Rolling Stone's website on Monday published the letter from Mary Forsberg Weiland, Weiland's second wife and the mother of his teenage children Noah, 15, and Lucy, 13. She writes that while the condolences and prayers offered to the children since the singer's death is appreciated, "the truth is, like so many other kids, they lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on December 3rd was hope.
"We don't want to downplay Scott's amazing talent, presence or his ability to light up any stage with brilliant electricity," she continues. "So many people have been gracious enough to praise his gift. The music is here to stay. But at some point, someone needs to step up and point out that yes, this will happen again -- because as a society we almost encourage it. We read awful show reviews, watch videos of artists falling down, unable to recall their lyrics streaming on a teleprompter just a few feet away. And then we click 'add to cart' because what actually belongs in a hospital is now considered art."
Forsberg Weiland describes the rocker, who struggled with substance abuse, as a "paranoid" man who was disconnected from their children. She states that after he remarried, "the children were replaced. They were not invited to his wedding; child support checks often never arrived. Our once sweet Catholic boy refused to watch the kids participate in Christmas Eve plays because he was now an atheist. They have never set foot into his house, and they can't remember the last time they saw him on a Father's Day."
Forsberg Weiland writes, "Over the last few years, I could hear his sadness and confusion when he'd call me late into the night, often crying about his inability to separate himself from negative people and bad choices. I won't say he can rest now, or that he's in a better place. He belongs with his children barbecuing in the backyard and waiting for a Notre Dame game to come on. We are angry and sad about this loss, but we are most devastated that he chose to give up."
In the final paragraph of the letter, she stresses the need for parents to spend time with their kids, adding, "Let's choose to make this the first time we don't glorify this tragedy with talk of rock and roll and the demons that, by the way, don't have to come with it."
Weiland, 48, died Thursday after he was found unresponsive in his tour bus while he and his band, The Wildabouts, were set to perform in Minnesota, police said. According to police, cocaine was found in the room where he was discovered.
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