Tina Turner misses her late son Craig “as much as ever” following his suicide in 2018.
The 81-year-old music icon tragically lost her son when he took his own life two years ago at the age of 59, and Tina - who also has Ronnie, 60, with her late ex-husband Ike Turner - has said she wasn’t aware of Craig’s “serious mental health challenges” until after his death.
Writing in her book, ‘Happiness Becomes You’, she said: “I was in Paris with Erwin to celebrate our anniversary and attend our friend Giorgio Armani’s fashion show. After the show, I was about to go to bed when Erwin received an urgent message from Los Angeles. Craig had died by suicide.
“It’s been almost two years now, but I miss Craig as much as ever. Craig suffered from profound loneliness, which I believe was related to clinical depression. He was close to his younger brother, but he suffered in silence. It wasn’t until his sudden death I began to understand that Craig faced serious mental health challenges.”
Craig’s death came after Tina herself had battled suicidal thoughts, and even attempted to take her own life by taking 50 sleeping pills in the midst of her tumultuous and abusive marriage to Ike.
But after her attempt, Tina - who is now married to Erwin Bach - believed she was still alive because she had “a mission to accomplish”.
She added: “After I attempted suicide, I felt that I was still alive because I had a purpose, a mission to accomplish in life.
“And after surviving years of abuse, I knew I had an innate resilience I could tap into. If I could increase that, I knew I could become unshakably happy and make my dreams come true.
“When I could finally see myself and my life clearly, that’s when I could find my way around any obstacle. I was able to overcome my challenges and realise my dreams.”
And now, Tina loves nothing more than leading a simple life at home with her husband.
She explained: “I’ve done it all. These days, I enjoy going for strolls, reading, chanting, watching movies, cooking healthful meals, and sleeping as late as I wish. That’s my guilty pleasure.”