Katie Holmes is apparently struggling to cope with the sudden death of her brother-in-law and has therefore found it more difficult than ever to stop smoking.

The 30-year-old actress was spotted by the National Enquirer lighting up at Victoria Beckham’s birthday party in West Hollywood on April 15th, just three days after the death of Joseph Jeffrey Fretti – known as Jeff – who was the 48-year-old husband of Katie’s oldest sister, Tammy.

“Katie has tried to quit and was doing really well, until she got the news that her brother-in-law had died,” said a source.

Katie gave up smoking when she met Tom Cruise, but she’s had several ‘relapses’ since then…

At the SAG Awards in January, she took a ciggy break with Josh Brolin and Sean Penn and it seems she’s been lighting up more and more since Jeff’s death.

Jeff and Tammy had filed for divorce earlier this year, citing “gross neglect, extreme cruelty and incompatibility.”

“Katie was already heartbroken that her sister was going through a difficult split with him,” said the insider. “She loved Jeff.”

Jeff was visiting with his mother in Florida along with his two young sons when she found him unconscious and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Katie’s spokesperson said Jeff died of heart failure.