James Blunt Reveals the Heartbreaking Reason He Asked Friend Carrie Fisher to Be His Son's Godmother (Exclusive)

James Blunt is reflecting connected his adjacent relationship pinch nan precocious Carrie Fisher — and nan affectional logic why he chose her arsenic nan godmother to his child.

The “You’re Beautiful” singer’s enslaved pinch nan Star Wars character began successful nan early 2000s, erstwhile he recorded his debut medium Back to Bedlam while surviving astatine her location successful Los Angeles.

Over nan years, their relationship grew, and erstwhile Blunt, 51, welcomed his first of 2 sons pinch woman Sofia, he asked Fisher to beryllium nan godmother, and tapped adjacent pal Ed Sheeran arsenic godfather.

Now, Blunt tells PEOPLE he had ulterior motives successful selecting nan Wishful Drinking author, arsenic he hoped nan domiciled would promote her to prioritize her ain health.

“I told her everything. I told her erstwhile I met my wife, we chose engagement rings together. She’s godmother to my child. I was pinch her nan time earlier she died, and it was very, very sad,” he says. “What was saddest, I suppose, is really I asked her to beryllium godmother to my child, saying, ‘I’m asking you to do this successful nan dream that you’ll look aft yourself a small spot better.’ And she didn’t, really.”

Fisher died successful December 2016 astatine property 60 aft going into cardiac apprehension connected a formation from London to Los Angeles. A coroner’s study later cited slumber apnea and different undetermined factors arsenic contributing to her death, and a toxicology study confirmed nan beingness of narcotics successful her system. Fisher’s mother, nan character Debbie Reynolds, died 1 time later astatine property 84.

Blunt paid tribute to his precocious friend connected his 2023 medium Who We Used to Be pinch nan opus “Dark Thought.” The way features lyrics astir Blunt visiting Fisher’s home, only to find it quiet and for waste (“I wish that you had called somebody/And if I wasn’t there, I’m sorry/You made maine judge you were strong/I wish you had called maine and told maine that thing was wrong,” he sings). 

He besides wrote astir nan prima successful his 2023 memoir Loosely Based connected a Made-Up Story, thing he says was a “really cathartic” experience.

The pair’s enslaved began immoderate 20 years ago, erstwhile Blunt was making love a family friend of Fisher’s. The group went to luncheon together successful London, and erstwhile he told nan character he was a musician who planned to caput to L.A., she asked wherever he was going to live. He had nary reply yet, truthful Fisher opened her doors.

“It was remarkable,” Blunt says. “The first 3 months, I didn’t speak to her. I virtually didn’t. Her mom, Deborah Reynolds, was connected nan property. I’d spot them around, but I would time off successful nan morning. I’d spell disconnected to nan studio. I’d travel backmost late, late, precocious astatine night, and I conscionable didn’t speak to her.”

But things changed 1 nighttime 3 months in, erstwhile Blunt went into nan room precocious astatine night. There, he recovered Fisher’s unit talking astir nan star, who was diagnosed pinch bipolar disorder astatine property 24.

“They were saying, ‘She’s having an episode,’ and that she was going mad. She needed to alteration her medicine and possibly they needed to get help,” Blunt recalls. “What was absorbing astir each of this, while they were talking astir her, she was successful nan room.”

At that point, Fisher and her houseguest began speaking successful a speech that fundamentally lasted for nan remainder of her life.

“I conscionable could spot she was conscionable skipping betwixt subjects alternatively quickly, [but] her encephalon was still working. Suddenly, we conscionable had this benignant of infinitesimal wherever I went and sat connected nan extremity of her bed, and she said to maine until 5 successful nan morning. And nan adjacent day, I came successful aft nan studio. I sat connected nan extremity of nan bed, and we said until 5 successful nan morning, and we benignant of did that for nan remainder of nan clip that she was alive,” he says. “She became my champion friend, really, astatine that stage.

Blunt has released six albums since Back to Bedlam, and is mounting disconnected connected nan North American limb of nan record’s 20th day circuit starting connected June 12.