Billie Lourd Calls Grief 'Bittersweet Joy' In Emotional Tribute To Late Mother Carrie Fisher

Billie Lourd is honoring her late mother, "Star Wars" icon Carrie Fisher, with a deeply personal and emotional tribute on the ninth anniversary of her death. On Saturday, the 33-year-old actress took to Instagram to remember Fisher, who died at age 60 on December 27, 2016. Lourd shared a touching throwback photo of herself as a child posing with her parents, Carrie Fisher and talent agent Bryan Lourd, alongside a present-day image showing her father with her own two children. The post was accompanied by a lengthy caption in which Lourd reflected on grief, motherhood, and the unexpected joy that still connects her to her late mom.

“It has been 9 years since my mom died,” Lourd wrote, before describing a quiet morning moment with her daughter. She shared that her child woke up early and laid her head on Lourd’s chest, telling her, “I love you mama,” before kissing her, a daily ritual Lourd said brings her immense joy.

Lourd explained that she told her daughter how much her “grandmomby” would have loved her, and later watched her father spend time with her kids, a moment she described as one of the greatest joys of her life. “Watching my dad with my kids is one of the greatest joys I’ve ever known,” she wrote, adding that the happiness was so overwhelming it felt cinematic, and somehow even better than a movie.

As the reflection continued, Lourd shared how that joy is inseparable from grief. “Then I started thinking about how this joy wouldn’t be possible without my mom,” she wrote. “This joy only exists because she existed. So even though she is not physically part of this joy, she is part of the reason for it.”

Lourd explained that grief changes shape over time, and on this particular day, it showed up as joy, something she called “bittersweet grieful joy.” Quoting her mother, Lourd added, “As my mom wisely said, ‘Nothing is ever really over. Just over there.’”

She closed the tribute by thanking Fisher and acknowledging that the love she feels now lives on through her children and the moments she gets to share with her family. “Thank you momby. I will never stop missing you,” she wrote, noting that the photos included in the post were taken in the same room, 25 years apart.

Billie Lourd’s heartfelt post quickly struck a chord, with friends, fellow actors, and fans filling the comments with messages of love, support, and remembrance.

Sarah Paulson summed up the emotion simply, writing, “Boy do I love you,” while Lily Collins called the tribute “the most stunning thing to read,” adding that it was “so pure” and thanking Lourd for sharing something so personal.

Kayla Scott praised Lourd not just as a daughter, but as a mother, writing a lengthy message applauding her strength, patience, and commitment to keeping Carrie Fisher’s memory alive through her children. “They are so proud of you. And you should be too,” she wrote.

Michael Rosenbaum, who shared a close bond with Fisher, reflected on their connection and the love Fisher had for her daughter. “She always treated me so kindly and helped me get through a lot of crap,” he shared, adding, “boy did she love the crap out of you.”

"Star Wars" alums also chimed in, with Daisy Ridley leaving a series of heart emojis, while others echoed the sentiment that Lourd’s words captured the complicated beauty of grief, love, and legacy.

Carrie Fisher died nearly a decade ago after going into cardiac arrest, with post-mortem tests later revealing drugs in her system.

While her legacy as Princess Leia and a Hollywood icon continues to live on through her work, her daughter’s tribute offered a powerful reminder that Fisher’s presence also endures in quieter, deeply personal ways, through family, love, and moments of joy that still carry her spirit forward.