Hours after death of 21-year-old Beckett was announced, his singer mother expresses her heartbreak in a social media post, while his biological father denies suggestion his part was only being a donor.

• May 14, 2020

AceShowbiz - Melissa Etheridge's son succumbed to his opioid addiction. Just hours after it was announced that 21-year-old Beckett has passed away, his singer mother spoke of his struggle with the addiction through a social media post.

On Wednesday, May 13, the "Ain't It Heavy" singer posted a lengthy note in her Instagram account. "Today, I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction," her message read. "My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today."

"He will be missed by those who loved him, his family and friends. My heart is broken," she went on expressing her grief. "I am grateful for those who have reached out with condolences and I feel their love and sincere grief. We struggle with what else we could have done to save him, and in the end we know he is out of the pain now."

Around the same time, Beckett's biological father David Crosby reacted to online suggestion that his part in his late son's life was just that of a sperm donor. After a Twitter user posted, "I respectfully point out, David was their donor. They did not have a son 'with' him. He was Melissa and Julie's child. They raised him. Like most donors, he played no other part," he simply wrote back, "Not true."

The 78-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has also shared a thought on the loss. In response to a tweet that partly read, "While I know that you were a surrogate, I also know that you just lost a son. I'm sorry, I know you've had a rough year," he pointed out, "Maybe it's a test."

News of Beckett's passing was first brought out by Melissa's team through a post in her Twitter account. "We're sad to inform you that Melissa's son Beckett passed away and there will not be a Concerts From Home show today," the short statement read.

Beckett was Melissa's son with ex-partner Julie Cypher. They had him in 1998 through artificial insemination. While Melissa and Julie initially kept the identity of their donor a secret, they later revealed David was the biological father of Beckett as well as their daughter, Bailey Jean.