Faster Pussycat Frontman Blames Addiction Following Fiancee's Fatal Fall from Cruise

Taime Downe, lead singer of rock band Faster Pussycat, has spoken publicly for the first time about the tragic death of his fiancée, Kimberly Burch, who fell from a cruise ship earlier this year.Downe says addiction played a role in her fatal fall.

In a May 30 interview on "Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk" on SiriusXM, Downe described how hard the past few months have been since Burch went overboard in March during an '80s-themed Royal Caribbean cruise

"It's a roller coaster," Downe said. "I'm hanging in there. I'm just taking it a day at a time."

According to People, Downe, 60, said that being on tour with his band has helped him cope. "Everybody thought going out on the road and being with my family in the band would be good for me," he explained.

"So I'm doing this. We're going out with some cool bands. I think it can't be anything but therapeutic."

While Downe did not provide full details about what led to Burch's fall, he said he believes alcohol and prescription medications played a role.

"So I blame alcohol and pills on it," he said. "There's no way I'd touch booze... I've got some hatred for booze, 'cause I loved the hell out of Kimberly."

Presumed Dead After Falling From Cruise Ship

Burch, 56, went missing on March 3, just one day into the cruise. Her mother, Carnell, told TMZ at the time that Kimberly had been drinking before the incident, though she didn't believe her daughter would harm herself.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is said to have surveillance footage of Kimberly climbing over the cruise ship's railing and stepping off.

Downe and Burch were in a relationship for close to nine years before parting ways.

He said the grief has been overwhelming, and although some people have criticized him, he insists he truly loved her. "It's been hard on everybody," he said. "We spent basically nine years together."

Though deeply affected, Downe is continuing to perform. Faster Pussycat is on tour with upcoming shows scheduled across Texas and the Midwest. The band's focus is on enjoying the experience and connecting with fans along the way.

Downe shared that discussing Burch's passing with close friends has been helpful, though he's not yet comfortable speaking about it publicly. He expressed a desire to keep those feelings private for now.

Authorities have ended the search for Kimberly. Her body has not been recovered.