Helena Christensen was reportedly the only person who knew about Michael Hutchence’s brain damage (Picture: Getty Images)
The sister of late INXS star Michael Hutchence has expressed her frustration after his model ex-girlfriend, Helena Christensen, was reportedly asked not to tell his family that he had brain damage.
Australian rocker Hutchence died by suicide aged 37 in 1997 after taking his own life in a Sydney hotel room.
It wasn’t until after his death that it emerged Hutchence suffered brain damage stemming from a road rage incident where he was assaulted by a taxi driver in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995.
This only came to light publicly in 2019 thanks to a documentary by filmmaker Richard Lowenstein, who spoke to Hutchence’s ex-girlfriend Helena and obtained a full autopsy report.
According to Lowenstein, the supermodel was sworn to secrecy by the musician which meant that not only did the world not know, but his family were also reportedly unaware of the extent of his internal injuries, which caused him to have ‘sudden mood swings and temper outbursts’.
Hutchence’s sister Tina Hutchence has now admitted that she wishes she learned of her brother’s health issues sooner.
Helena revealed that Hutchence sustained the injury after being assaulted in a road rage incident in Copenhagen (Picture: Getty Images)
Hutchence and Helena famously dated in the 1990s (Picture: Getty Images)
‘I know Michael was so happy with Helena and there was a time when I could not imagine them not being together,’ Tina told The Sun On Sunday.
‘But I did feel angry when I first found out about the assault, as I felt it was her duty to say something to his family.
‘There were all these awful stories about Michael after he died, so for Helena not to tell us about the head injury was wrong. She was very close to our parents and could have easily reached out.’
Hutchence died by suicide in a Sydney hotel room in 1997 (Picture: Getty Images)
Helena opened up about the road rage incident in Lowenstein’s Mystify documentary and explained how they were riding home on bikes when they stopped in a narrow road to get pizza.
‘This insane taxi driver yelled at Michael to move. He got out of his car and punched him,’ she said in the film.
‘Michael fell backwards and hit his head on the curb. He was unconscious and there was blood coming out of his mouth and ear. I thought he was dead.
‘We got to the hospital and he woke up and was aggressive. They were trying to make him stay but he was physically pushing them away.’
Hutchence was found dead in his hotel room in Sydney in November 1997, with a coroner ruling his death a suicide. He had one child with partner Paula Yates, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, who was one at the time of his death. Yates herself died from a drug overdose in 2000.
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Helena’s reps for comment.
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Hutchence and Helena famously dated in the 1990s.
