A new biography explores the tragic final months of Karen Carpenter, one half of the famous ’70s music duo “The Carpenters.”
The biography, titled “Lead Sister: The Story of Karen Carpenter” and penned by music journalist Lucy O’Brien, delves deep into Carpenter’s life and her battle with anorexia, which ultimately led to her death on February 4, 1983.
Carpenter’s fight against anorexia is at the heart of this biography. In 1982, she moved from California to New York in search of relief from the disease, which had taken control of her life. Thoughts of food consumed her every moment and disrupted her sleep.
Under the care of psychotherapist Steven Levenkron, Carpenter underwent a treatment that many considered “controversial” and “radical.” However, Carpenter “knew instinctively that she needed someone strong to help her fight the anorexia, someone who saw through her denial and her attempts to hide the illness,” O’Brien wrote.
Under Levenkron’s care, “Karen would be dependent on him in order to override the authority of the disease, until she established her own separate identity. He would become a father figure, guiding and navigating her through the process,” O’Brien explained.
Despite her intention to conquer the illness, the biography reveals that Carpenter was undermining her own treatment through secretive actions like excessive exercise and laxative use.
Carpenter’s extreme measures included taking over 90 laxatives at once and consuming 10 thyroid pills daily to increase her metabolism.
Levenkron, upon discovering the dangerous dosage of thyroid medication, stepped in to prevent further harm. As time passed, he implored Carpenter to allow him to care for her, emphasizing her inability to protect herself.
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Eventually, Levenkron adopted a confrontational approach, urging Carpenter to confront her “emaciated body” by standing before a mirror in a bikini. Despite her dire condition, “She didn’t see anything wrong; in fact she told him she was gaining some weight” O’Brien wrote.
Ultimately, Carpenter’s health deteriorated, with irregular heart rhythms and dizziness. Levendron had her admitted to a hospital, where it was determined she weighed a mere 77 pounds and had life-threateningly low blood potassium, registering a level of 1.8. The book states normal levels are between 3.6 and 5.2. She was received nourishment through an intravenous drip.
After seven weeks of intensive care, she temporarily recovered but prematurely declared herself “cured” and planned to return to Los Angeles.
“Levenkron told Karen she was leaving him too soon, that treatment would take at least three years, but she waved away his concern, promising to follow up with him on the phone,” O’Brien wrote.
Tragically, Carpenter’s optimism was short-lived. On February 4, 1983, her mother, Agnes, found her lifeless in a bedroom at her parent’s home.
“When the coffee was ready she called the bedroom phone, but Karen didn’t answer. Agnes went to the foot of the stairs and called again but there was no response, so she went up to the bedroom. She found Karen lying unclothed and motionless on the wardrobe floor. Clutching her close, she screamed to Harold to call for help,” O’Brien wrote.
The biography recounts the heart-wrenching moment when her parents realized they had lost their beloved daughter, “‘Can’t you bring her back?’ they wailed” but there was noting the doctor could do.
Her brother, Richard Carpenter, faced the devastating reality that his lifelong musical partner was gone forever.
Karen Carpenter was 32 years old when she died.
Her story is especially poignant now as eating disorders have been on the rise.
“In fact, research indicates that the number of teens with eating disorders at least doubled during the pandemic,” according to Dr. Sydney Hartman-Munick, MD, Assistant Professor at UMass Chan Medical School.
This statistic is extremely concerning given that “eating disorders are among the most deadly of all mental health diagnoses, and teens with eating disorders are at higher risk for suicide than the general population,” Hartman-Munick continued.
It is critically important to take possible eating disorders seriously and seek help as soon as possible.