David Bowie’s daughter, Lexi Jones, clarified this week that a recent account of being “forcibly removed” from her family home weeks before her father’s death was not intended as an accusation against her parents, but rather a reflection on her experience within the teenage treatment system. Jones, 25, shared the story in a lengthy Instagram video earlier this month, detailing the moment two men arrived at her home to escort her to a treatment facility when she was 14 years old.
In the initial video, Jones described a scene that unfolded with her mother, Iman, her father, David Bowie, and her godmother present. “It felt like an intervention,” she said, recounting how she resisted, screaming as she was taken from her home and driven away. She detailed feeling “stripped of any right to stay in my own life” and being unaware of her father’s deteriorating health, and his death in January 2016, due to being cut off from communication.
The story quickly gained widespread media attention, prompting Jones to address concerns that her account placed blame on her parents. In a follow-up Instagram post on February 27, she emphasized her love for both Iman and Bowie, stating they were acting out of concern for a child struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. “They were trying to help a child who was struggling in ways none of us fully understood at the time,” she wrote. USA Today reported on the clarification.
Jones explained that her intention was to shed light on the experience of being a teenager within the treatment system, and the complex emotions that can coexist with love and support from family. “Those feelings can exist at the same time as love for the people who were trying to help you. Both things can be true,” she stated. She hoped to offer support to others who have gone through similar experiences, acknowledging the “confusion and silence” often surrounding such programs. E! Online detailed her account of being sent to a wilderness therapy program and subsequent residential treatment center.
Jones’s initial account described being taken to a “wilderness therapy” program, where she was strip-searched and forced to live outdoors, learning survival skills. She characterized the experience as “bootcamp’s weird cousin,” and described a dehumanizing environment where basic comforts were stripped away and communication with the outside world was severely restricted. She later transitioned to a 13-month residential treatment center in Utah, where she continued therapy and discovered her passion for art. It was during her time in Utah that she learned of her father’s passing, having spoken to him just two days prior on his birthday. The Mary Sue reported on the weight of legacy and struggles that led to her entering rehab.
Jones began her music career last year with the release of her debut album, ‘Xandri,’ a 12-track project blending pop, electronic, and indie-rock influences. She has publicly distanced herself from comparisons to her father, stating in a poem titled ‘David Bowie’s Daughter’ that she is “not a copy.”
The disclosure of her experiences comes as a new immersive exhibition, “David Bowie: You’re Not Alone,” prepares to open in London in April, showcasing rarely seen material from the iconic musician’s career.
