Michael Madsen Requesting A Full Military Investigation Into Son's Suicide

Michael Madsen is breaking his silence on the tragic death of his son, Hudson, requesting a full investigation by the military after claiming "rank and file" shamed him for receiving mental health counseling.

The 'Reservoir Dogs' star revealed his son, who grew up in California, had just finished his first tour in the Army and was stationed in Hawaii. The actor claims he had just spoken to his son, and saw minimal signs of depression and problems beyond the normal scope of day-to-day issues.

As we reported, Hudson reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while still on the Army base.

In a statement to The Blast, Madsen said, "I want to thank everyone for their prayers and their kind messages, our family greatly appreciates that, we are all incredibly overwhelmed with grief and sadness. I am in shock as my son, whom I just spoke with a few days ago, said he was happy-my last text from him was “I love you dad”. I didn’t see any signs of depression. It’s so tragic and sad. I’m just trying to make sense of everything and understand what happened."

He continued, "My son had just completed his first tour in the army where he was a sergeant, stationed in Hawaii. His marriage was going strong, he had typical life challenges that people have with finances, but he wanted a family. He was looking towards his future, so it's mind-blowing. I just can’t grasp what happened."

The famous actor is asking for a full investigation by the military into allegations Hudson was shamed by other Military personnel over getting mental health counseling. Our sources say Hudson had started treatment but stopped after being ostracised by others on base.

"I’ve also asked for a full investigation by the military because it appears that officers and rank and file were shaming my son for needing therapy which caused him to stop getting help for mental health issues that he was keeping private," Madsen concluded.

A source close to the family tells us, Hudson was recently stressed about being shipped out to the Philippines but spoke openly about starting a family with his wife. None of his family believed that he might be suicidal.  

Perry Wander, a lawyer for the family, reiterated the point of Military officers having issues with receiving mental health counseling. "Hudson was shamed in the military for needing mental health counseling, didn’t get it with tragic results. Stigma is a huge Barrier to Seeking Health Care Among Military Personnel With Mental Health Problems. Approximately 60% of military personnel who experience mental health problems do not seek help, yet many of them could benefit from professional treatment," Wander began.

He continued, "Across military studies, one of the most frequently reported barriers to help-seeking for mental health problems is stigma. My client hopes that if he can shed some light on this important problem and focus attention on this important issue, other families of military personnel who are suffering from mental health issues and need counseling will be encouraged to get it instead of being shamed and stigmatized and ostracize for needing it."

At this point, it's unclear if the Army will agree to investigate the death and surrounding allegations, but Madsen has tasked his lawyer to get answers from the Military.

R.I.P.