The son of NHL legend Claude Lemieux, 60, told police that his father had relapsed into sex addiction before he died by suicide.
Police body camera footage, obtained by The California Post, shows Brendan Lemieux speaking with Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies on May 28 after discovering his father’s body at the family’s home-design business in Lake Park, Florida.
“Long story short, my mom finds out that he’s not sober anymore,” Brendan told officers. “And that’s what triggered this tonight.”
When asked whether Claude had been drinking, Brendan clarified that alcohol was not the primary issue.
“When I say sober, he has more issues with—his most sober thing is sex addiction versus alcohol,” he said. “I don’t even know if he’s been drinking.”
Brendan told investigators his father had been sober for more than a decade, but he and his mother, Deborah, began noticing changes in his behavior about a year earlier. He said the situation had “spiraled completely,” with Claude becoming increasingly angry and lashing out at others.
According to Brendan, his mother confronted Claude on the night of May 27, and after he admitted to relapsing, she asked him to leave their home. Hours later, Brendan noticed his father’s phone location had moved to the family’s business and drove there to check on him, where he found him dead.
A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office incident report states Lemieux left a Post-it note on his phone instructing his family to look inside the device’s notes app, where investigators found several individualized messages. Authorities described the notes as “heartfelt in nature,” reflecting sorrow over his actions.
Lemieux enjoyed a 21-year NHL career with teams including the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils, winning four Stanley Cups and the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Brendan Lemieux, 30, followed in his father’s footsteps into professional hockey. The left winger was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the 31st overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft and went on to play for the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He currently plays for HC Davos in Switzerland’s National League.
If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
