Barry Gibb "can't handle" watching loss of family in new Bee Gees documentary, and says he won't see it

6 January 2021, 15:55 | Updated: 28 January 2021, 17:22

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart – Official Trailer

The eldest brother and only living member of the Bee Gees has spoken about the recently released biopic 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart', revealing it would be too painful to watch.

Barry Gibb has said he won't watch the new Bee Gees documentary because he can't handle seeing the loss of his family.

Speaking to CBS Sunday Morning, the 74-year-old addressed Frank Marshall's latest film How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.

“I can’t handle watching the loss of my family. I just can’t handle it,” he said.

“Who would? I think it’s perfectly normal to not want to see how each brother was lost, you know? And I don’t want to address it. I’m past it.”

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Barry admits in the interview that he has seen bits of the documentary, but when asked if he's seen the whole thing, he simply responds: "No".

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The film is the first full-length documentary about the legendary group, and charts the lives and careers of Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb.

Maurice passed away suddenly in 2003 at the age of 53, and his twin brother Robin passed away at the age of 62 in 2012.

Touching upon the loss of his brothers in the interview, Barry described it as "incredibly, incredibly hard".

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"We've never not been together," he said. "The first year after the last brother passed, Robin, that was the most difficult period for me."

"And people have said, 'He had a breakdown.' You know, I didn't have a breakdown, actually."

Read more: Barry Gibb releases love song 'Butterfly' he wrote with brothers Robin and Maurice when they were kids

The singer continued: "I just didn't know where to go. I didn't know what to do. And I didn't know how to be perceived. I didn't know how to perceive other people's opinions.

"So basically, I've been in lockdown for years now!"

Read more: Barry Gibb opens up about why he asked Michael Jackson to leave his home in 2002

Exclusive clip - The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

The new documentary premiered on Sky Documentaries on December 13, and is now available on DVD and Digital Download.

It features a brand new interview Barry himself, as well as from fans and friends Eric Clapton, Mark Ronson, Noel Gallagher, Lulu and more.

Read more: Bee Gees documentary: Watch Barry Gibb display his iconic falsetto in two brand new clips

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Director Marshall has previously been behind big movie hits, including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Jurassic World: Dominion.

"Like so many people around the world, I’ve loved the Bee Gees' music all my life," Marshall said.

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"But it wasn't until I did my first interview with Barry, almost 3 years ago, that I began to discover their uncanny creative instincts, their musical gifts, their humour, and the brotherhood and family that made them so unique.

He added: "It's been such an honour to be involved in this movie and celebrate the massive impact the Bee Gees have had on popular music."