“Harris Lee Wittels, died on February 19, 2015 of a heroin overdose alone in his Los Angeles home.” That is the first line of the heartbreaking essay about the late comedian, writer and TV producer written by his mom, Maureen Wittels, penned for Huffington Post on Wednesday, November 2.
“My son grew up in an affluent, white suburban neighborhood. He was a ‘nice jewish boy.’ His dad is a physician and I am a retired teacher. My son would never, ever take that drug called heroin!’’ Wittels wrote. “These kinds of kids don’t do such a thing! I am sharing this story because I want other families to to hopefully know what we did not know.”
In 2014 the Parks and Recreation producer, opened up on his two stints in rehab and how a painkiller habit eventually led him to heroin. “I write on a f – – cking network show, but I’m leaving work to go Skid Row,” he recalled of his addiction on Pete Holmes’ You Made It Weird podcast. One year later, Wittels was found dead on his couch. He was just 30 years old.
“All Harris ever longed to do was make people laugh. However on the inside, he was not laughing. He admitted to doing recreational drugs since 12 years of age. How could we not know?!” Wittels wrote. “We were great parents. He would tell you that himself as he told therapist after therapist. We were very involved in his life. He made straight As, had tons of friends, and was very driven and straightforward about what he wanted to do with his life. He was a total self-starter. We never had to beg him to do his homework. He got a scholarship to college.”
Wittels went on to describe how during the last few years of his life, The Sarah Silverman Program writer began to pull away. “He came home for fewer and fewer holidays and specials occasions and, if truth be told, I saw the light literally go out of his eyes and suspected nothing,” she revealed. “Why? Because he was busy being so successful! Harris had become a very successful high-functioning drug addict.”
The night before he died, Wittels received an email from Harris about the series finale of Parks and Recreation. It said: “There’s only one more episode left and it’s the big farewell episode that will make you cry. I found a cool place to live in Manhattan. I feel good!! I am feeling very fortunate. Love you.”
Harris had recently landed a role on Aziz Ansari’s show Master of None and Wittels was convinced he was getting his life on track.
“I was flying high from that connection with him,” she wrote. “He worked so hard to land that part in Master of None and I hadn’t heard that kind of excitement in his voice for a very long time.”
But the next day, Wittels’ life fell apart. “TMZ got ahold of the story of his death and leaked it to the world. I found out in a text from a friend after the world found out,” she revealed. “As his mom, I really believed this time was different. We never lose hope.”
Wittels was publicly mourned by celebrities such as Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Nealon, Seth Meyers and Billy Eichner.
“Harris worked very hard to achieve his dreams. He fought valiantly to beat his demons,” Wittels wrote. “I have become a warrior mom, trying to live a new life without my hero in it and trying to make sense out of his death by attempting to save others from this nightmare. All I have is today, and I am trying really hard to make it count, for him.”
Wittels started the first Houston, Texas, support chapter of GRASP (Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing). Read about how she is advocating for changes in the way addicts are treated.
