Janelle’s son Garrison took his own life on March 5, 2024 and was discovered by his younger brother, according to People.
Now, his mother has come forth with more information about what he may have been going through and how she was dealing with his loss. Here’s her story:
He Struggled With Substance Abuse
Janelle has broken her silence on the tragedy of her son’s passing by suicide and shared her thoughts regarding what may have led him to leave her family far too soon.
When Garrison passed, he was only 25. His death left a major rift in the family and opened the door for a lot of questions regarding the way he was raised. Janelle explained to People that she truly doesn’t know what her family could have done differently to save his life.
She speculated a bit about his issues with substance abuse and pointed out that it was one of the more compelling explanations for his sudden loss. She went so far as to say it was likely the single most important factor in deciding his fate.
Janelle stressed that the tragedy definitely didn’t come from a lack of love as they were fairly close. She mentioned to People that she was always speaking with him and doing all she could to help guide him in the right direction.
That being said, she admitted that she often fell into spells of grief and wondered whether she could have done anything else to help him out of the dark place he was in. Her words to People were:
“I think that’s a grief trap because I think ultimately everybody is responsible for their own actions and their own decisions. […] We really did everything that we could have done.”
She’s More Aware of Mental Health
Janelle emphasized to People that she and the rest of her family were all completely blindsided by Garrison’s sudden death. In fact, they had been fairly certain that he was getting better before he passed.
As Janelle pointed out, Garrison had started interacting with the family more often and had even adopted a new cat. She said that he was also very excited about his career and where things were heading in his life.
Since Garrison’s passing the entire family has shifted dramatically for a variety of reasons, but Janelle claims one of the main changes his passing brought up was a new focus on mental health. She told People that checking in with each other and discussing their mental health has become their main focus.
As for Garrison’s memory, Janelle has made it very clear that she will continue to care about her son for the rest of her life. She has posted publicly on his birthday to keep his memory alive, according to People.
Garrison and Kody Weren’t Close
Garrison’s relationship with his father Kody was allegedly strained for some time, according to People. Kody shares 18 children with his ex-wives and current wife, but has admitted that his involvement with Garrison could have been improved.
Could a better relationship with his father have helped Garrison at his lowest points? No one knows for sure. Kody admitted that he thought they would have plenty of time to reconnect. According to People, he stated:
“It was kind of like, we’ve got forever. It was more like it was a convenience of time that I felt like I had.”
