Ever Carradine penned an emotional tribute about her loving dad, Robert Carradine, after he passed away Monday.
“My dad died today. My sweet, funny dad, who’s only 20 years older than I am, who never missed an opportunity to drive me to the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing, is gone,” the “Handmaid’s Tale” alum wrote on Instagram Monday night alongside a carousel of throwback images of her with Robert.
“If you knew my dad, you know he’s the guy that’s always there. Invite him to dinner? He’s in. Kid’s Little League game in Simi Valley, just tell him what time. Red eye flight and need a ride home from the airport, just text him your column number after you get your bags,” she added.
“Growing up in the 70s and 80 with a single dad in Laurel Canyon is not exactly the recipe for a grounded childhood, but somehow mine was. Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad.”
Ever, 51, wrote that she knew her late father, Robert, “loved [her]” and always had her back because their 20-year age difference made them “basically [grow] up together.”
“And while I never ever thought of him as a sibling, I did always think of him as my partner. We were in it together. I never wanted to let him down, and I wanted him to trust that I had his back the same way that he had mine,” she penned.
The “Guns For Hire” actress then listed the many things she learned from the “Lizzie McGuire” alum, such as how to change her own wiper blades and to never hold a grudge.
“My dad was a lover, not a fighter. He was all heart, and in a world so full of conflict and division, I think we can all take a page out of his book today, open our hearts and feel and share the love,” Ever wrote.
“I have a thousand stories and I’m being flooded with memories — so if you see me, please ask me about my dad, Bobby Carradine, who made me who I am. Rest easy, dad. I love you the most,” she concluded.
Robert died by suicide after battling Bipolar Disorder, his brother Keith Carradine told Deadline. The late actor was 71.
“In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon on light to everyone around him. We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder,” Robert’s family told the outlet in a statement.
“We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness. At this time we ask for the privacy to grieve this unfathomable loss. With gratitude for your understanding and compassion,” they added.
The “Revenge of the Nerds” actor’s relatives said they want the public to know there is “no shame” in the illness he had.
Robert was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after his brother David Carradine died by asphyxiation in June 2009.
The “Long Riders” actor welcomed daughter Ever with Susan Snyder in 1974. Robert married Edith Mani in 1990, and they shared two children, Marika, 35, and Ian, 33.
The couple divorced in 2018, one year after Mani revealed Robert attempted to kill them both in a terrifying 2015 car crash.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
