‘Southern Charm’ Star Olivia Flowers’ Brother Conner Died From a Fentanyl Overdose
‘Southern Charm’ Star Olivia Flowers’ Brother Conner Died From a Fentanyl Overdose
Olivia Flowers is candidly discussing the tragic loss of her brother, Conner Flowers, and the circumstances that led to his untimely demise.
The Southern Charm personality revealed that the coroner determined her brother, 32, succumbed to an accidental overdose of fentanyl on January 30.
This tragic end came after years of dealing with chronic pain treated with prescribed opioids, a consequence of his prolonged fight against Lyme disease.
Olivia confided in People, sharing on November 1st, “My brother hated talking about his illness. So many people, even in his close circle, didn’t know about his Lyme.”
Lyme disease, a bacterial illness primarily transmitted by ticks, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can result in a spectrum of symptoms. These can range from fever and fatigue to severe complications affecting the heart and nervous system if it remains untreated.
She reminisced how Conner began exhibiting “debilitating” signs of Lyme disease at 15. Despite their pursuit of medical advice, Olivia recounted the dismissive responses Conner received, where health professionals repeatedly suggested, “It’s all in your head, you’re fine,” offering him painkillers and anti-anxiety medications instead.
Olivia reflected on the impact this had on her brother, noting, “He started depending, at a very young age, on this prescription medicine to feel normal.” She observed the heavy toll it took on him as he unwittingly became dependent on the very medication meant to alleviate his pain.
According to Olivia, Conner’s battle with addiction began with his dependence on the prescription drugs he believed were aiding him. It was only after finding a specialist capable of addressing his Lyme disease that the extent of the damage became evident. “Not only was he getting treatment for Lyme, but he was also in rehab dealing with getting off this medicine,” she disclosed.
Conner’s desire to recover was strong. “Nobody wanted to get better more than Conner did,” Olivia said. Their family, tightly knit, was deeply invested in supporting him, yet Conner faced a relentless cycle of rehab efforts.
She further elaborated, “People, when they hear words like ‘rehab’ or ‘drugs,’ they assume the worst. But these weren’t substances he turned to for partying. This was medicine. This is what made him feel normal.”
Just before his death, Conner seemed to be turning a corner. Olivia remembered him being, “completely clean” and in high spirits during a family trip to Arizona. “He was in the best shape I’d seen him in years,” she said. He was full of aspirations, preparing to relocate to Dallas, Texas, for new job opportunities.
They were set to have dinner in South Carolina a week before what would have been his 33rd birthday. That dinner never happened. Reflecting on the suddenness of his death, Olivia said, “It was just so crazy. We were on the phone not even an hour earlier. And then… he’s gone.”
She clarified the nature of his relapse, which proved to be lethal. The prevalent stigma around fentanyl overdoses, often associated with reckless drug use, did not apply to her brother, “Conner wasn’t like that. This was his means to survive.”
Olivia termed the loss as “heartbreaking,” condemning the systemic failures in healthcare that overlooked her brother’s needs. “There are these holes in the healthcare system, and my brother fell into one,” she lamented.
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