Late KISS drummer Eric Carr’s girlfriend, Carrie Stevens, has publicly pushed back against claims made by Paul Stanley about her behavior at Carr’s funeral. Stevens addressed the accusations in a statement shared via The Hair Metal Guru, responding to a question about Stanley’s book in which he allegedly asserted that she removed drumsticks from Carr’s hands during the service.
“That’s a complete f*cking lie. I can’t tell you how hurtful that is,” Stevens said. “First of all, you don’t take the most painful moment of my life and exploit it in your book to make money, you gazillionaire. That is wrong. And I’m going to call you out for it.”
She went on to explain the emotional toll of attending the funeral and recalled her interactions with KISS members during that time.
“So, it brought back, of course, the worst memories. I mean, the hardest, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life is walk up to Eric’s coffin,” she continued. “And I spent two days at the wake in front of his coffin in the front row with his family. Gene didn’t come. He was getting liposuction. Paul showed up briefly and do you know what I did at the time? He came to the front row, you know, to greet me and you know what I did? I went and I just sobbed into my hands so I didn’t have to look at him. I didn’t even want to look at him after the way that he treated Eric.”
Stevens emphasized her close bond with Carr’s family and disputed Stanley’s portrayal of the events surrounding the funeral.
“Paul was just a little no one at Eric’s wake at Eric’s funeral. They were like they had to sit with the fans like they were not a part of the family like I was,” she said. “I was a part of the family. I rode in the limo with the family to the services and I sat in front and I was very close to Eric’s body and it was extremely difficult and disturbing. I didn’t need to be reminded of that in the book and be insulted for my place which was a place of love and loyalty and honoring him.”
Addressing the drumstick allegation directly, Stevens clarified what she actually placed in the coffin.
“And I did, cuz his sister told me it was okay, I put like a little photo of us like I slipped that into his coffin. I did do that,” she explained. “But why would I take his drumsticks? Do you know how many pairs of his drumsticks like I just had and I’ve given them away like an idiot over the years. I’ve just been nice and given them to people. I only have one pair left. They’re in my safe deposit box and I’ll never part with them. But I’ve never sold, you know, his sticks. I don’t know what the f Paul was thinking like saying something.”
Her emotional response underscores the enduring impact of Eric Carr’s death on those closest to him and highlights lingering tensions within the KISS community over how his passing was handled.
WPDH reported that Eric Carr died on November 24, 1991, at age 41 from heart cancer. His funeral took place on November 30, 1991, at St. Joseph’s Church in Middletown, New York. Band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, and Ace Frehley attended the service.
The timing of Carr’s death was particularly tragic, as it occurred on the same day as Freddie Mercury’s passing, resulting in Carr’s death being largely overshadowed by worldwide media coverage.
The wake and service were open to the public, allowing fans to pay their respects, while the burial at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newburgh, New York, was kept private for family members.
The renewed controversy surrounding Stevens’ statements adds another chapter to the complex history of KISS and the aftermath of Carr’s death. Born Paul Charles Caravello, Carr replaced founding drummer Peter Criss in 1980 and remained with the band until his death in 1991, making his loss a pivotal moment in the group’s history.
