Melissa Etheridge says her family has 'predispositions' to addiction as she opens up about son's tragic death

Melissa Etheridge has bravely opened up about her late son, Beckett Cypher, and the opioid addiction that led to his death in May, aged just 21.

In a new interview with Tamron Hall Show, Etheridge said genetics may have played a factor in Beckett's four-year battle with opioids because her family was more susceptible to addiction — her children's sperm donor, musician David Crosby, had battled drug and alcohol abuse in the past. 

But by no means was Etheridge blaming Beckett's genetic make-up solely, because the couple's older child, Bailey Jean, did not follow the same path as her son.

"I didn't want to blame genetics. I know we have predispositions," 57-year-old Etheridge said on the show. "My oldest daughter who's about two years older than Beckett, is extremely successful, graduated from Columbia University, getting her master's at the London School of Economics.

"So the genes are there, but the choices then are the individual's to make and Beckett just, kind of, made the choices that made it harder and harder for him."

That's why just recently the singer founded The Etheridge Foundation to raise awareness and research the causes and effects of opioid addiction.

"One thing that helped me heal was starting The Etheridge Foundation. We're just starting it and it's rolling out and it is a foundation to research alternatives," she revealed on US program Today With Hoda & Jenna earlier this month. "It's research to understand addiction. We really want to move to the forefront of things that can help."

If you, or someone you know, would like to talk to someone confidentially about addiction, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit Reach Out. In an emergency, call 000.