Mary Hart on Death of Marie Osmond's Son

(CBS)  Marie Osmond is mourning the death of her 18-year-old son, Michael Blosil.

"Entertainment Tonight's" Mary Hart, a longtime close friend of Osmond's, calls it "one of the most difficult stories that I have had to report in my 28 years" with ET - "because it is so personal."

Blosil was one of Osmond's eight children. Marie adopted five of them, including Blosil.

On "The Early Show" Monday, Hart said she saw Osmond and Blosil only a month ago, in Los Angeles.

"He had struggled," Hart says. "He had been in and out of rehab. And, Marie, always looking for the silver lining, had always hoped for the best. … He was in excellent spirits. I've seen him throughout the years, but on this particular day, he and Marie were so excited about him attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in L.A. They were upbeat, and he was very happy, and seemed to be looking toward the future."

Photos: Osmonds' Highs and Lows

With a phone call early Saturday morning, Hart says, she learned the news: Blosil was dead.

Friday evening, after 9 p.m., he succumbed to what Hart says she's told was a battle with severe depression. She says he leapt to his death off the downtown L.A. apartment building where he lived.

Nearly 20 minutes later, at 9:24 p.m., a 911 call was received by the L.A. Fire Department.

According to Hart, a suicide note was found. A source tells Hart that, in it, he wrote that, because of his depressive state, he felt that he had no friends and did not fit in.

Nearly 14 hours later, a grief-stricken Osmond released a statement to ET's Web site saying, "My family and I are devastated and in deep shock by the tragic loss of our dear Michael, and ask that everyone respect out privacy during this difficult time."

Her brother, Donny Osmond, "often her rock," says Hart, told Hart, "Please pray for my sister and her family."

Yesterday afternoon, Hart spoke with a man who said he's Blosil's roommate. "He's probably the funniest, happiest guy I've ever met in my entire life. This is something I would never expect," the man said.

Marie, says Hart, "my dear friend, is finding solace in her faith and her family. And I find tremendous grace in her own words: 'I really believe that it's the lows that make us who we are. It's not the success. It's how we handle all that.'"

Right now, says Hart, Marie is handling everything privately and, although the Osmonds live by the motto, "The show must go on," for Marie, it is just too soon: Donny and Marie's show at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has been suspended until further notice.

"You can bet," says Hart, "she has loving arms around her. The Osmonds are a very close-knit family and, in times of loss or tragedy, they support each other and really band together as a family, and in love."

[billjoe12]

Turns out Marie Osmond is the most searched for celebrity with plastic surgery http://sfcosmeticsurgery.com/blog/7-most-popular-celebrities-with-plastic-surgery/

[pjaxson]

I can comment on severe depression. You can hide how you really feel and people think you are fine. The ones to blame are the insurance companies who will not pay for the services needed to help beat the depression. And the mental health organizations and government programs who do not help because you have insurance even though you pay $12,000/year and can't afford the high deductible and copayments. I truly feel if depression was treated as well as drug/alcohol addiction we would have far less problems as a country.

[rock0223]

Egad. There's more people thinking about this topic, I guess than anything else in the news. The old saying is true: 'the media is the message'.

[grammarg]

My heart goes out to the Osmonds family. I'm a mother and grandmother, feel that there is no words that can help in a time like this, just the love and prayers and being there for one another. My family and I will keep Marie and her family and his friends in our thoughts and prayers.

[NotPartyControlled]

God will judge for himself. He doesn't need the judgement or threat of judgement from those who are yet to be judged themselves.

[texmom]

Good grief don't judge this family. Depression is an illness. The poor kid suffered and I'm sure the family suffered with him. They seem to be a very loving close family and sometimes no matter what you do to help a child it might not work. We don't have all of the answers and I certainly wouldn't judge the family it is not my place or anyone else's. My prayers go out to the Osmond's. I pray they find the strength to get through this tragic loss.

[SHOJ11]

I have suffered from depression since I was a child. It isn't anyone's "fault", it is just the way we see the world around us. It is our own inner workings. Most of us are afraid of the world and even with the best parenting, there are so many things that influence us in the world. I had a teacher that was abusive and my parents didn't know about it until I was an adult. That teacher did more to diminish my self-esteem and sense of worth than anything anyone could have done to help me. No one should judge or condemn anyone about anything ever, but especially, do not judge or condemn any parent because their child has any issues. Some stuff we are born with. All any parent can do is the best they can with what they have and what they know. We have no idea what the real lives of these folks are like. We see more than we should of their private lives, and less than we need to really know what was going on. There are plenty of kids who grow up in all kinds of different dynamics. Some make it, some don't. It's a combination of way too many things to point to one thing or the other as the determining factor of what makes one depressed and whether or not one will survive the depression.

If you are the praying type, pray for those who suffer this illness and for their families. If you aren't the praying type, try not to make any judgements. Just keep these folks in your thoughts and try to offer your condolences. Have some class, at the very least.

[SIKCHUTNAY]

THE " OSMONDS" WILL FIND SOMEWAY TO TURN THIS INTO A COMMERCIAL!! BOO HOO HOO

[lovely_heart_86]

This family is suffering a horrible loss, and you have the nerve to automatically say something like this! you should be ashamed. No one deserves to be disrespected like this! The old saying still applies - "if you cant say something nice, dont say nothing at all".

[Kiggydoll]

You're a complete insensitive jealous idiot who has the nerve to get your kicks commenting on someone else's tragedy. Remember that God works in mysterious ways and you will get yours.

[national1942]

I just read that Michael lived with another fellow so he wasn't alone. I've also heard that there is a high rate of suicide in gay and lesbion people. I don't know whether he was gay or not, it's been reported that he was, but speaking personally, from first hand experience, suffering from depression does not mean that you are always depressed or even that when you are in a state of depression every one around you knows about it. That is not always the case. I have had depression and anxiety attacks now for almost a year and my life was great before I got this, with no reason for depression, but suddenly, there it was in full force, with suicidal tendencies. I have STRONG religious beliefs that do not allow for taking my own life or I might actually have done it, I was that low, with no hope. Fortunately, for me, I was able to receive TLC from a psychology doctor that knew what he was doing and I got better. Did he cure me? NO! There is no cure and I was shocked to find out that his prognosis was that I will live with this disease (it IS a mental disease) for the rest of my life. For me, learning how to cope with it and deal with the feelings when they come on, as they do regularly, and using the 'tools' that my doctor gave me to thwart the feelings, and God's Almight hand upon me, is what has saved me. Prayer is a wonderful cure. God hears and answers me instantly when I call on Him for HELP. The bottom line is too that people around you often do not know that you are depressed or suffering from anxiety. In my case, no one did. I was happy and cheerful and funny when I was depressed (as his roommate said Michael was) around people, but when I was alone, I could barely get out of bed and I 'planned' how I was going to die. Thankfully, I did not. I give all the credit for where I am today to God first and then to my wonderful Dr. of Psychology...too bad Michael couldn't have had a doctor like mine. Without the two of them, I don't know where I would be today. So, I'm learning to "hope for the best and cope with the rest" on a daily basis. And I pray that I will never again be as low as I was when my doctor first found me. SO, if you know someone who is suffering from depression, be kind, considerate and loving and helpful anyway you can, and above all, understanding. That's the first thing I loved about my Dr. was that he came in, without any judgement, in fact he even stressed that he would never judge me on anything, and he never did. He was comforting, supportive, understanding and even laughed and cried with me. I will never forget him nor will I ever be able to properly thank him for making me understand that I was a worthy human being...who just needed some help. (By the way I am still seeing him twice a month now). When I'm ready he will be gone and I will, by the grace of God, stand on my own two feet and be humbly proud of who I have become. Thank you Dr....! I owe you my life.

[national1942]

Wow! I didn't mean to write a book here. Sorry.

[erasmus111]

by national1942 March 2, 2010 4:30 AM EST
Wow! I didn't mean to write a book here. Sorry.


You call that a book? You haven't read toldyouso21's comments. They go on for PAGES. : )

Great post. Glad that you found someone that could help you.

My sister-in-law suffers from depression. She is constantly going off her medication. She feels bad that she has to take it. I have told her over and over that she doesn't need to feel bad. You do what you have to do, to feel good, to survive in this world. Like why would you want to go through life feeling bad when there is something that can help?

[Previewer]

I never met a depressed person in growing up as a kid because we were always busy going to school,doing homework,playing sports and we had a mother at home the whole city did. We were tired and ready for bed by 10:00pm. There was thousands of families with 5-15 children to raise and only one or two divorced parents. The schools not only taught us but watched out over us and if their were any concerns the parents were notified and action was taken. Every single kid I grew up with was just too busy to be depressed. Idleness was not allowed. This was in the 40's;50's and 60's. We didn't have any "Leave it to Beaver" families and we didn't have any disfunctional. We had good strong neighborhoods that also watched out for children. We all had to go to church,everyone. We didn't have so many CROOKS in Politics and Wall Street. The worst word we heard was communism.

[scarlett123]

I hate to be picky here - but you might not know if you met a depressed person. Many people are able to cope in public and put on a brave face. Try looking in any respected medical journal and you will find depression is a real medical condition - not a symptom of laziness. You are never to old to fight ignorance.