Radar Online
EXCLUSIVE: Tragic Reason Why Bette Midler, 80, Will Never Sing Again After a Lifetime of Tragedy
By Haley Gunn
Dec. 3, 2025
Legendary entertainer Bette Midler has closed the chapter on her singing career for good.
While Hollywood’s newest octogenarian isn’t ready to step away from the spotlight just yet, sources claimed “she’s truly done” with belting out her iconic tunes, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Midler’s ‘Truly Done’ With Singing
After decades of performing, sources claimed Midler is ‘truly done’ with singing.
According to insiders, the songstress behind Wind Beneath My Wings and The Rose has no plans to ever sing again – not onstage or in a studio or even to her own shower head.
While some fans may believe the decision is due to Midler’s aging vocal cords, an insider insisted that’s not the case.
“There’s nothing wrong with her vocal cords,” the source confirmed. “She just doesn’t want to. She’s completely over it.”
Insiders said Midler wants to focus on writing, producing, and environmental activism.
Although some entertainers find it hard to step away from the mic after decades of performing chart-topping hits, the insider said that’s not the case for Midler.
“She’s moved on. That chapter is closed,” the tipster said as they explained The First Wives Club star has pivoted her time and energy towards writing, producing and environmental activism.
Midler is said to be enjoying a quieter life away from the stage – and while the decision is shocking, the insider insisted she “still loves performing, just not singing.”
Midler’s Career Began With Tragedy
Midler’s sister Judy was hit and killed by a taxi on her way to watch one of the singer’s performances in 1968.
The 80-year-old’s decision has not only stunned fans, but her inner circle, too.
Sources revealed Midler’s friends expressed surprise at her definitive stance on never singing again, but the Hocus Pocus star wasn’t swayed and firmly stood her ground on quietly shutting the door on the singing portion of her career.
“No farewell concert, no Vegas run, no Broadway comeback – she’s truly done,” the insider added.
Midler may be ready to give up stage performances considering the tragic beginning to her career.
Back in 1968, when her career was just starting to take off, Midler’s sister Judy traveled to New York City to watch one of her performances.
Sadly, Judy never made it to her sister’s show. She was struck and killed by a taxi in the Big Apple on her way to the performance. The traumatic incident was something Midler could never shake, despite how well she hid her pain from audiences.
“I was the only family member in town,” Midler previously recalled. “I had to go to the morgue and identify the body.”
Unfortunately, her sister’s death also brought back somber memories of a high school friend who was also killed in a car crash.
Midler’s Second Act
Midler founded the environmental organization The New York Restoration Project in 1995.
“When you come through all the fire, you think there must be a God or something, and you should go and do whatever it is you do that brings joy to people,” Midler said as she explained how she funneled her heartbreak into her performances.
“My parents showed plenty of emotion, but they didn’t give much love,” the singer continued. “There was a lot of yelling. I had a lot of anger, a lot of rage and I channeled it.”
She added: “The stage was the best therapy.”
As our insider noted, Midler has shifted her focus to her organization, The New York Restoration Project, which she founded in 1995 to create more public green spaces and rejuvenate parks and community gardens across the Big Apple.
During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Midler spoke about The New York Restoration Project and why she believes “nature is a fundamental right.”
She noted the initiative began as a “cleaning and greening project” three decades ago as she recalled seeing “so much garbage in public spaces” after returning to New York from Los Angeles in 1994.
“I feel nature is a fundamental right and I feel–I felt it was unfair,” Midler said on being inspired to start the NYRP before noting there are “some very, very beautiful parks” in the city but also “many big green spaces in the five boroughs that are under resourced, underfunded and nobody pays any attention to them.”
Midler added: “Those are the ones that I wanted to bring back. I’m a big believer in restoration.”
Well, I don’t think if Bette sings again or not, it will have anything to do with her sister Judy. Nonetheless, the article does make a good point. Bette’s last solo studio album (“It’s the Girls”) was over ten years ago, and since then there has only been one recording, the ensemble Broadway cast “Hello Dolly” album. With an occasional movie or two (“Fabulous Four”, upcoming “Cut Off”, and perhaps “Hocus Pocus 3”), and a couple of recent television appearances, it doesn’t appear that she is in full retirement mode but are choosing her projects narrowly and wisely. If I could make a plea (oh sure, why not?), I think it’s time for the studios to unearth her songs that have been recorded and never released, even if they are outtakes from concerts. Wouldn’t we all like to have an album that includes “Mary”, “Tenterfield Saddler”, or even songs that appeared on other albums from other artists (e.g., “Manhattan Transfer”, etc.)? And of course, there are the infamous “Motown Session” recordings, that are supposedly never going to see the light of day. Well, I’d like to hear them, even if it’s dark outside!
Mister D, I think you could put together a terrific list of (unreleased) songs that could go on vinyl/disc, from over the years–in fact, I venture even a box set wouldn’t be out of the question. There are so many variations of “Greatest Hits” albums out there with her name on it, I think it would be fun to mine the vaults and hear what’s been in hiding for the last fifty years. Let’s hear it for the archives!
This is a completely different subject, but Netflix just acquired Warner Brothers. I wonder how that will effect Bette’s new movie Cut Off?
So much tragedy in one headline! LOL
In any case, I think her choice is fabulously in acordance with the person I see through the work…just stepping away gracefuly, searching for other stages…I still think she should have a podcast and/or youtube channel..haha
My take on the Netflix/Warners purchase:
From a studio perspective, it appears that the people in the biz are very against it, as Netflix is known primarily as being a streaming platform, which could mean the death (exaggerated, I know) of people seeing films in the theater. Based on one article I read, Netflix does not plan to change the studio release plans for the next three years but has made comments about shortening the window between theater release and streaming dates. Even this year, for example, the new Knives Out movie with Daniel Craig (“Wake Up Dead Man”), which came out on Thanksgiving, is only being given a two-week theatrical run, and will debut on Netflix this Friday, December 12. In all honesty, I could see the same sort of thing happening with “Cut Off”. As more people get large screen televisions, and affordable surround sound systems, the overall theater experience will encounter another problem of its own. I was in Sams Club the other day and saw a 100″ screen television on sale for $1699. It wasn’t a high-end brand like Samsung or LG, but the picture still looked pretty darned good. My initial reaction was “oh, shit, there goes the theater experience!” Currently, HBO has an agreement with Warners, so I was expecting “Cut Off” to go to HBO after its 77-day window/theatrical release. If the Netflix deal goes through, I can only guess that there will be a shorter window between theatrical date and streaming. Oddly, the film “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t”, which also came out in theaters two weeks ago, was also available for streaming day and date (i.e., available for streaming the same day as its theatrical release), but for a higher price (I believe it was $24.99, instead of the standard $19.99).
Putting all of this together, my opinion is that we will see shorter windows between release date and streaming, and where there are no contracts in place, such as HBO/Warners/Netflix, we will see more day and date releases available for immediate streaming at an upcharge in price. I agree with the anxiety surrounding this deal, though, as I would certainly hope “Cut Off” remains a theatrical release, and doesn’t go straight to streaming, as we saw with “Hocus Pocus 2–even though it did break streaming records!!”
Thank you so much for your input. I understand it much better now. Oh my, the good ole days! Don
Disappointing but most likely true it appears. So as a wonderful substitute how about releasing some of her past concerts? I’m quite sure there is a lot of “legal haggling” to get that done but the fans would really go for it. She was such an amazing live performer…… A great place to start would be Kiss My Brass! (the full version which included “Keep on Rockin”). I would imagine there has to be an inhouse video recording that could be buffed up and released. Next up how about her last tour Divine Intervention….. One can only hope…..
I like your thinking!