On Thursday, Dec. 3 the sad news of former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland's death swept the nation. The 48-year-old musician was mourned by family, friends, and of course, fans. Now that a few days have passed, Scott's ex-wife Mary Weiland has written a letter for Rolling Stone, where she powerfully expressed her thoughts and emotions regarding the death of her former husband. Even Scott and Mary's two children, 15-year-old Noah and 13-year-old Lucy, contributed.
If you've yet to read Mary's letter, you probably think it's a written piece honoring Scott and his contributions to the music industry and thanking everyone for their kinds words. Partly, yes, that's what it entails. However, the majority of the letter is an opportunity for Mary to not only shine a light on the struggles Scott faced throughout his life, but also how she claims his paranoia and drug use influenced him as a father. She even goes as far as to say that Dec. 3 is not the day Scott died for the family, but is rather "the official day the public will use to mourn him." She continues,
The outpouring of condolences and prayers offered to our children, Noah and Lucy, has been overwhelming, appreciated and even comforting. But the truth is, like so many other kids, they lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on December 3rd was hope.
Mary goes onto say that she's not trying to overshadow Scott's talent, but as a mother she wants to show other parents why it's so important to go above and beyond for their kids, no matter what. "In reality, what you didn't want to acknowledge was a paranoid man who couldn't remember his own lyrics and who was only photographed with his children a handful of times in 15 years of fatherhood," she writes. She depicts a dark picture around Scott's life and problems, so much so that it pushed her to the edge. "Spending so many years immersed in Scott's multiple illnesses led to my own depression; at one point, I was misdiagnosed as bipolar," Mary confesses.
Mary also claims how after Scott remarried, he didn't want anything to do with Noah and Lucy. Her intentions are not for others to judge Scott and his choices, but she hopes that if someone sees a child in the same position as her children, they do something about it by extending a helping hand. "If you're a parent not giving your best effort, all anyone asks is that you try just a little harder and don't give up," she writes. "Progress, not perfection, is what your children are praying for."
You can read Mary's letter in its entirety at Rolling Stone.
