27/09/2025
Content warning: This story discusses su***de.
Granger Smithâs wife Amber Smith is remembering a difficult time in their lives.
Six years after their 3-year-old son River died in a drowning accident, Amber recounted the tragedyâs aftermath, including her perspective on the former country singerâs su***de attempt.
âHe was out with the guys in Boise, Idaho, one night after a show,â she began in an excerpt published by People Sept. 25. âThey walked over to the local bar, laughed, and told old stories, all while drinking more than he had since River died. When the evening wrapped up, he found himself drunkenly walking back to his tour bus alone.â
Realizing the âseverity of the situation in that momentâ in that he âhadnât been drunk in a really long time,â Amberâwho also shares kids London, 14, Lincoln, 11, and Maverick, 4, with Grangerâsaid her husband âquickly grabbed for the w**d pen and took a hit, hoping it would bring him out of his drunken state a bit, but nothing changed.â
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âVisions of River facedown in the pool assaulted his thoughts and lies pierced his conscience that he was a failure as a father, that he had let River down,â she wrote. âIn a moment of utter despair, he fumbled for the gun he kept in the drawer by his bed for safety on the road, aiming to end the pain.â
To this day, Amber remains heartbroken that Granger âfelt like this was the only way outâ at the time
