Jackie Siegel is opening up about losing both her husband and her sister in the span of three days.
“It comforts me to know that she was there to greet him,” Jackie, 59, exclusively told Luxury Handbag Shopping on Wednesday, April 16, of the death of her husband, David Siegel, and her sister, Jessica Mallery.
“Now I know I have extra guardian angels and guidance,” the Queen of Versailles star continued. “Sometimes I feel them, because when you get gut feelings, like, ‘Should I do this?’ or, ‘Should I turn left or should I turn right?’ It’s like, ‘I think I’ll turn right’ and then you get goosebumps. So I have that special touch right now.”
David, the founder and executive chairman of Westgate Resorts, died on April 5 following a bout with cancer. He was 89. Just three days later, Jackie announced that Mallery died of an accidental drug overdose. She was 43.
“As I mourn the profound loss of my beloved husband David Siegel, who passed away on April 5 at the age of 89, my world was shattered again yesterday by the unexpected loss of my beautiful sister, Jessica Mallery, 43,” read a statement from Jackie shared via her nonprofit, the Victoria’s Voice Foundation, which was founded in honor of her daughter, Victoria, who also died of a drug overdose in 2015 at the age of 18.
“To a scourge we as a family sadly know too well – accidental drug overdose,” the statement continued. “Jessica died after using cocaine laced with fentanyl. Her death is another stark reminder of the drug epidemic and fentanyl crisis plaguing our country — and the urgent need to address substance abuse in order to save lives. Our work at Victoria’s Voice remains more critical than ever, and in her memory, we will continue to raise awareness and advocate every single day until this form of grief is a distant memory in this country.”
Jackie told Us that while her sister “was brain dead they were keeping her organs alive” for eventual donation.
“We felt comfort in donating her organs,” she explained to Us. “Within two days they donated seven of the critical organs that saved lives. That’s why I’m saying my life is expanding — it’s not just lives from education of fentanyl, but also to have people be aware about how important donating organs is. She’s going to give someone eyesight with her eyes. We donated her skin for burn patients and skin cancer victims.”
She continued, “She’s going to be able to help 60 people. She’s touching so many people’s lives. She’s still saving lives even after death. So was my husband, still, just both in different ways.”
The actress remembers her sister as a “free spirit” who “loved people” and “trusted everyone.”
“She had the heart that made a difference in people’s lives,” she continued. “She gave me inspiration.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and/or substance use, you are not alone. Seek immediate intervention — call 911 for medical attention; 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; or 1-800-662-HELP for the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline. Carrying naloxone (Narcan) can help reverse an opioid overdose.
