Tag: RIP

  • Lea Michele, "Glee" Castmates Post Tributes To Corey Monteith 

    Lea Michele, "Glee" Castmates Post Tributes To Corey Monteith 

    Last weekend marked the sizxth anniversary of Monteith’s 2013 overdose death. 

    The late actor Corey Monteith was remembered via social media posts by his Glee co-stars, including his former girlfriend, Lea Michele, who has paid tribute every year on social media since his death from an accidental overdose in 2013.

    Michele posted an image of the sun behind clouds over a body of water with the message “The light always remains,” while fellow castmates Kevin McHale, Amber Riley and others also remembered their friend with their own posts.

    Monteith died in a Vancouver hotel room from an overdose caused by a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol, among other substances, on July 13, 2013.

    “He Was Not His Addiction”

    Michele, who met Monteith while both were starring on the Fox series and dated him from 2012 to 2013, has posted images and/or messages about the actor on each anniversary of his death, and carries more permanent tributes to him on her person in the form of several tattoos, including his Glee character’s football jersey number.

    In a 2014 interview with Seventeen, Michele said that she “only had happy memories of Cory. He was not his addiction – unfortunately, it won. But that wasn’t who he was. Cory made me feel like a queen every day.”

    In addition to Michele, Monteith’s co-star Kevin McHale posted an image of the actor on his Instagram page, with a caption that read, “The sweetest boy. Forever.”

    Amber Riley’s Instagram post featured a candid of her with Monteith and the caption “6 years without those bear hugs.” And Heather Morris commented on Jenna Ushkowitz’s post by writing, “Missing him a lot lately.”

    Their co-star, Matthew Morrison, later added, “I love this pic!”

    His Struggle

    Monteith’s struggle with drugs and alcohol began in his early teens, which he described in a 2011 interview with Parade as a period in which he “burned a lot of bridges.” He entered rehab for the first time at the age of 19, and earned headlines in 2013 for an on-set intervention by cast and crewmembers that resulted in a stint in rehab that same year.

    After completing a 30-day period of treatment in April, Monteith was found dead in a room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel on July 13. He was 31 years old.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Rip Torn Dies; Oscar-Nominated Actor Struggled With Alcoholism

    Rip Torn Dies; Oscar-Nominated Actor Struggled With Alcoholism

    The actor was 88.

    Actor Rip Torn, a larger-than-life presence in film, on television and stage for more than a half-century, died at his home in Connecticut on July 9.

    Though Torn was perhaps best known for comedic roles—he won an Emmy for his turn on The Larry Sanders Show and was an inveterate scene stealer in Albert Brooks’ Defending Your Life30 Rock and the Men in Black franchise. But he was also a Tony-nominated stage actor and earned an Oscar nomination as a hard-drinking bayou resident in Cross Creek (1984).

    Torn also struggled with alcohol in real life, and earned headlines in the late 2000s for a series of run-ins with the law that led to a suspended jail sentence in 2010.

    Born Elmore Rual Torn Jr. in Temple, Texas on February 6, 1931, his unique moniker was a tradition passed down to all the men in his family. He headed west to launch an acting career in Hollywood, but found more success in New York, where he studied under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, and later helped his cousin, Sissy Spacek, join their ranks.

    A connection with director Elia Kazan led to early roles in films like Baby Doll (1956) and the original Broadway run of Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of You, which led to a supporting role in the feature film version in 1962. Torn’s co-star, Geraldine Page, would become his second wife, and they remained married until her death in 1987.

    Torn eventually settled into character roles, playing intense, complicated figures including Judas in King of Kings (1961) and a selfish country singer in the cult favorite Payday (1973).

    He also forged a reputation as a difficult, even volatile actor. He famously assaulted writer-turned-director Norman Mailer with a hammer while filming the experimental drama Maidstone in 1970 (the fight remained in the film), and successfully sued Dennis Hopper in 1998 over claims that he had pulled a knife on the actor during the production of Easy Rider (1968), for which Torn was originally slated in the role played by Jack Nicholson.

    Despite his reputation, Torn was in demand as a character actor, and shifted away from heavies to play ornery, avuncular comedic roles in the ’90s and early 2000s.

    A turn as a heavenly defense attorney in Albert Brooks’ Defending Your Life led to his role on Larry Sanders and six consecutive Emmy nominations, including a win in 1996. Torn was soon a staple of film and TV comedies, including an Emmy-nominated recurring role on 30 Rock and memorable appearances as Zed in the Men in Black films, Sofia Coppola’s Marie AntoinetteDodgeball: A True Underdog Story and other films.

    At the height of his career, Torn’s struggles with alcohol became a matter of public record. He was arrested three times between 2004 and 2008 for driving under the influence, and in 2010, broke into a bank branch office in Connecticut while intoxicated.

    Charged with carrying a firearm while intoxicated and first-degree burglary, among others, Torn was released after his lawyer told the judge that his client needed treatment for alcohol dependency.

    He eventually pled guilty to reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and other charges, and received a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence and three years probation.

    Torn returned to sporadic work in independent features, and logged his final role with voice-acting work for the Comedy Central animated series TripTank. At the time of his death, he was 88. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Clark Gable III Died from Accidental Fentanyl, Oxycodone Overdose

    Clark Gable III Died from Accidental Fentanyl, Oxycodone Overdose

    The grandson of Hollywood legend Clark Gable was found unresponsive in his home on February 22.

    Actor and television host Clark Gable III’s untimely death at the age of 30 was due to an accidental overdose of fentanyl, as well as oxycodone and alprazolam (Xanax).

    Several news sources, including TMZ and the New York Daily News, revealed that an autopsy report from the medical examiner’s office in Dallas County, Texas, determined that Gable, who was best known as the host of Cheaters, died on February 22, 2019 from the “combined effects” of the three drugs. 

    TMZ also quoted its conversation with Cheaters producer Bobby Goldstein, who said that Gable’s drug use was known on set.

    Gable III—the grandson of Hollywood legend Clark Gable—was found unresponsive in his home in Dallas by his girlfriend on the morning of February 22 and transported to an area hospital, where according to the medical examiner’s report, he died at 9:11 a.m.

    At the time of his death, Gable’s passing was credited to undisclosed causes, but in an interview with Radar Online, former girlfriend Heather Chadwell said that they both struggled with addiction during their relationship.

    “We were together on-and-off for several years, and during that time, we went through a lot,” she told Radar. Chadwell also noted that after their split, Gable called her from the hospital, where he had undergone surgery to treat a stab wound that caused one of his lungs to collapse.

    Sources on the set of Cheaters, which Gable hosted in its 13th and 14th season, said that Gable’s drug use concerned some crew members to the point that they spoke to producer Goldstein about his health.

    Goldstein told TMZ on April 12 that he addressed the issue with Gable, but was told that there was no cause for concern.

    At the time of his death, Gable, who had a daughter with his girlfriend Summer in 2017, had either completed or was working on acting roles in several independent features, and was reportedly compiling a documentary about his grandfather, who starred in Gone with the Wind

    Gable is the most recent celebrity whose death has been attributed to fentanyl.

    Musicians Prince and Tom Petty both succumbed to overdoses caused by the powerful synthetic opioid, as did hip-hop musicians Mac Miller and Lil Peep and Jay Bennett of the band Wilco.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Clark Gable III, Grandson of Hollywood Legend, Dies At 30

    Clark Gable III, Grandson of Hollywood Legend, Dies At 30

    The 30-year-old actor had reportedly battled addiction prior to his death. 

    Television host and actor Clark Gable III, whose grandfather was iconic Hollywood actor Clark Gable, died on February 22, 2019 in Dallas, Texas.

    Variety confirmed with the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office that the 30-year-old Gable, who was the host of the TV show Cheaters, was found unresponsive in his home in Dallas by his girlfriend that morning and transported to an area hospital, where he died from undisclosed causes.

    In an interview with Radar Online, an ex-girlfriend of Gable’s claimed that he had suffered from substance abuse issues. Heather Chadwell claimed that he had struggled with addiction during the course of their relationship. 

    “We were together on-and-off for several years, and during that time, we went through a lot,” said Chadwell. Gable would disappear for “days on end,” which strained their relationship. “We were battling our own addiction issues, and it was too much.”

    Chadwell also said that after the pair split, she received a call from a hospital where Clark was being treated for a stab wound in his lung. The lung later became infected and collapsed, according to Chadwell, and required surgery. “It was just so hard on him, and it was hard to watch him suffer.”

    Gable’s mother, Tracy Scheff, told Radar that she learned about her son’s death from his girlfriend, Summer, with whom he had a daughter in 2017. “I got a call from his girlfriend, and I didn’t even know what she was saying, she was so hysterical,” said Scheff. Gable’s sister, actress Kayley Gable, posted a tribute to her sibling that same morning.

    “My brother was found unresponsive this morning… I love you Clarkie, I’m so sorry we couldn’t save you,” she wrote. “My heart is broken and shattered.”

    In 2011, Gable served six days in jail for pointing a laser at a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter as it flew above Hollywood Boulevard. He later apologized for the incident and said he was glad to have served his time and be “able to set an example.”

    At the time of his death, Gable was reported to have appeared in a feature film, Sunset at Dawn, which also featured his father, John Clark Gable. He was also reportedly working on a documentary about his grandfather, who starred in such films as Gone with the Wind

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Comedian Brody Stevens Dies At 48

    Comedian Brody Stevens Dies At 48

    “The Hangover” star was memorialized by his comedic peers on social media.

    Actor and comedian Brody Stevens, known for his role in movies like The Hangover and The Hangover II, has died of an apparent suicide, according to numerous reports.

    Stevens, 48, was found deceased in Los Angeles on Friday (Feb. 22). According to The Blast, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department were dispatched to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. on Friday. 

    “Brody was an inspiring voice who was a friend to many in the comedy community,” a rep for Stevens told The Blast. “He pushed creative boundaries and his passion for his work and his love of baseball were contagious. He was beloved by many and will be greatly missed. We respectfully ask for privacy at this time.”

    Many are mourning the loss, especially those in the baseball community, People reports. Stevens was a passionate baseball fan who reportedly played on a scholarship at Arizona State University

    The team at ASU honored Stevens, who was a pitcher, with a moment of silence before their game on Saturday. They also shared a statement on Twitter

    “We lost a treasured member of our Sun Devil Baseball Family yesterday,” the team wrote. “We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Brody Stevens. He will be in our hearts this weekend.”

    Others in the baseball community, including retired pitcher Dan Haren, also spoke out on Twitter. 

    “One of my best friends is gone, @BrodyismeFriend i love you man. He always took the time to talk to me about baseball, comedy and life. A true friend,” Haren tweeted.

    Phillies ace Jake Arrieta also expressed his sadness at the loss of his friend.

    “I will never forget the time spent with Brody Stevens during my time in Chicago thx to Mike Borzello,” Arrieta tweeted. “Every conversation was memorable, he loved baseball, and watching him throw a bullpen during an early spring morning will always be a highlight for me.”

    Fellow comedians also took to social media to mourn the loss.

    “#RIPBrodyStevens he was so funny and weird and vulnerable and wild and kind. Every time he was onstage it was an adventure,” comedian Nick Kroll wrote.

    Comedian Patton Oswalt took the opportunity to speak on the importance of reaching out for anyone who is feeling depressed or suicidal.  

    “If you are depressed or feeling suicidal please please please please please reach out to ANYONE,” he tweeted. “I never get to see Brody Stevens again I can’t stand this.”

    According to The Blast, Stevens has been open about his depression in the past. 

    If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, reach out the the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Actor Kristoff St. John Found Dead Of Suspected Alcohol Poisoning

    Actor Kristoff St. John Found Dead Of Suspected Alcohol Poisoning

    “He was able to overcome so many things, but the death of Julian was just a breaking point for him in a lot of ways,” said one source. 

    On Monday February 4th, prolific actor Kristoff St. John was found dead, and alcohol poisoning is suspected. The official cause of death is deferred pending further investigation, USA Today reports.

    For almost 30 years Kristoff St. John starred in the soap opera, The Young and the Restless, as Neil Winters. Beloved by friends, family, and coworkers, St. John’s life had been struck by tragedy when in November 2014 his 24-year-old son, Julian St. John died by suicide while undergoing treatment at a mental health facility.

    At age 18, Julian had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, a serious mental illness that comes with a 40% risk of a suicide attempt, with males being at higher risk than females.

    After Julian’s suicide, Kristoff St. John and his ex-wife Mia St. John, a respected boxer and Julian’s mother, sued the mental health facility where their son died for negligence, and won an out-of-court settlement.

    According to TMZ, in winter 2017, Kristoff St. John reportedly attempted suicide close to the time of the third anniversary of his son’s death. St. John was placed on a 72-hour suicide watch after threatening to shoot himself.

    On January 21, St. John retweeted what now seems to be a terrible harbinger, a message that read: ‘Grieving the loss of a child is a process. It begins on the day your child passes, and ends the day the parent joins them.’ 

    “He was able to overcome so many things, but the death of Julian was just a breaking point for him in a lot of ways,” Stephanie Sloane, editorial director of Soap Opera Digest, said of St. John, to PEOPLE.

    St. John’s ex-wife, immediately following the announcement of Kristoff St. John’s death, blamed the mental health facility. She wrote on Twitter in a since-deleted tweet:

    ‘THAT HOSPITAL KILLED OUR SON THEN MY HUSBAND. THATS WHAT HAPPENED! THEY KILLED MY FAMILY.’

    After the actor’s death was made public, friends and coworkers flooded social media with words of grief and fond remembrance of a man who seemed full of kindness and love. Actress Vivica A. Fox called St. John “a true gentleman.”

    PEOPLE recounted St. John’s 2013 Soap Opera Digest interview, where he movingly discussed his son’s struggle.

    “My son, Julian, has been suffering from a drug addiction for some years now and has also been diagnosed schizophrenic. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take his medication, which disallows a daily health routine,” he said. “Quite often, people who suffer from bipolar disorder self-medicate because they refused to take their pharmaceutical drugs, so we have had out issues. Poor boy felt that the local park was more of a home than his mother’s home or mine, based on the relationship he has with a certain female, and I can’t condone that relationship. I never thought my son would be the kid at the gas station with the gas can trying to get a couple of dollars out of somebody for a bogus story, and this is where Julian is.”

    St. John discussed his son’s artistic abilities proudly, ending with, “There is hope.”

    Kristoff St. John won two Daytime Emmys for his role in The Young and the Restless, playing an ambitious executive at a cosmetics company. Coworker and close friend Shemar Moore told PEOPLE, “This is not how he’s going to be remembered in his last days. He’s going to be remembered for his journey, for how much he loved his children — Paris, Lola, and Julian, his son who had a hard time and took his life.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • KTLA News Anchor Chris Burrous Dies After A Suspected Overdose

    KTLA News Anchor Chris Burrous Dies After A Suspected Overdose

    Burrous had been a morning news anchor at KTLA since 2011.

    Broadcaster Chris Burrous, who anchored the morning news on Los Angeles’ KTLA, was found unresponsive at a Days Inn motel in Glendale, California and died on December 27, 2018 at an area hospital.

    Police in Glendale issued a statement which noted an individual who was with Burrous at the time of his death indicated that he had possibly suffered a drug overdose, and was administering aid when firefighters arrived at the motel. The 43-year-old who was a fixture at the CW affiliate since 2011, was a familiar face to Los Angeles television audiences, and colleagues expressed their condolences to his family via social media.

    According to the Glendale Police report and a news briefing by Glendale Police Sgt. Dan Suttles, members of the city’s fire department responded to an afternoon call from the aforementioned male individual, who had contacted police to report that Burrous had passed out and was not breathing due to a possible overdose while both were at the Days Inn.

    Suttles, who said that the individual “appeared to be a friend” of the news anchor, did a “good job of trying to render aid” when firefighters appeared at the scene. Burrous was given CPR and then transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

    The report noted that Glendale detectives are investigating the case, and while suicide appeared to be ruled out as a cause of death, they are currently awaiting a toxicology report from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. No additional details of the police investigation were available.

    Burrous, whose family hailed from California’s Central Valley, joined the KTLA news staff after serving as a reporter and anchor at various locations across the United States, including KGET in Bakersfield, where he met and married fellow journalist Mai Do-Burrous, with whom he had a nine-year-old daughter.

    As an anchor at KTLA, Burrous helped to expand its morning news programming to seven days a week, while also serving as correspondent for other telecasts, including coverage of the recent California wildfires. Burrous also hosted a regular segment titled “Burrous Bites,” which focused on restaurants throughout the state.

    In a statement issued in the evening of December 27, KTLA President and General Manager Don Corsini and News Director Jason Ball wrote, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Burrous family. Chris loved sharing the stories of Southern California and connecting with our viewers. He will be remembered as a great journalist and a wonderful friend to many.”

    Their sentiments were echoed by numerous social media posts by fellow KTLA reporters like fellow weekend desk anchor Lynette Romero, who wrote, “My tears now are for your sweet little girl, your wife Mai and your dear parents. We will miss you so.” 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Vine Co-Creator Colin Kroll Dies Of Suspected Overdose At 34

    Vine Co-Creator Colin Kroll Dies Of Suspected Overdose At 34

    Those close to Colin Kroll took to social media to memorialize the Vine/HQ Trivia co-founder.

    Colin Kroll, the creator of well-known apps Vine and HQ Trivia, was found dead of a suspected overdose in his Manhattan apartment on Sunday. 

    According to People, a New York City Police Department spokesperson has confirmed that an unresponsive Kroll was found in his home Sunday, Dec. 16 and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

    Although preliminary results point to an overdose, the NYPD spokesperson said the medical examiner will determine the official cause of death. There was no report as to what substance Kroll potentially overdosed on. 

    Those close to Kroll responded to the news with sadness. 

    An HQ Trivia spokeswoman released a statement to People and wrote, “We learned today of the passing of our friend and founder, Colin Kroll, and it’s with deep sadness that we say goodbye. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

    Rus Yusupov, Kroll’s Vine and HQ Trivia co-founder, tweeted about how Kroll had made the world a better place. 

    “So sad to hear about the passing of my friend and co-founder Colin Kroll,” he wrote. “My thoughts & prayers go out to his loved ones. I will forever remember him for his kind soul and big heart. He made the world and internet a better place. Rest in peace, brother.”

    Kroll and his co-founders launched video app Vine in 2013, Time reports. But in 2014, Kroll left Vine to co-found HQ Trivia, which launched in August 2017. 

    Various complaints had been filed against Kroll over the years, including from an HQ Trivia employee claiming Kroll had an “aggressive management style,” People reported. Recode has also reported that Kroll was let go from Twitter, which acquired Vine, for similar complaints. 

    In March, Kroll spoke to Axios about the allegations, saying he had learned from the circumstances and changed for the better.  

    “As reported in the media, I was let go from Vine four years ago for poor management,” he said. “It was a painful experience, but an eye-opening one that served as a catalyst for professional development and greater awareness in the office.”

    “I now realize that there are things I said and did that made some feel unappreciated or uncomfortable,” he added. “I apologize to those people. Today, I’m committed to building HQ Trivia into a culture-defining product and supporting the dedicated team that makes it all possible.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Top Model" Alum Jael Strauss Promoted Sobriety Before Cancer Death

    "Top Model" Alum Jael Strauss Promoted Sobriety Before Cancer Death

    Jael Strauss, an advocate for recovery and sobriety, passed away from breast cancer earlier this month.

    Former America’s Next Top Model contestant Jael Strauss, who had been candid about her recovery from meth addiction and her sobriety, died on Tuesday, nearly two months after she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. 

    On Oct. 4, Strauss announced her diagnosis in a Facebook post

    “On October 2nd I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. It has aggressively spread throughout my body and is incurable. With treatment it may prolong my life longer than the ‘few months’ doctors said I could make it,” she wrote. “I don’t want to die. I need another one of those miracles that I got back in 2013.”

    The 2013 miracle was her recovery from meth addiction. In August she posted on Instagram celebrating five years of sobriety.

    “Today I have 5 years sober,” she wrote. “Good God! I know a few things to be true: Miracles are real, Recovery is possible for everyone no matter how far gone you think you are, We are never too broken to be put back together, Service work feels better than the greatest high, Sobriety makes you weirder not normal and I’d be dead if it weren’t for all the love and forgiveness I’ve been showered with by my friends and family.”

    After getting sober, Strauss dove into supporting other people in recovery, volunteering with the Solstice Recovery Foundation in Texas, according to TMZ. She often organized fundraisers for people who could not afford treatment, an effort that was returned this fall when people from her recovery community organized a fundraiser to help Strauss cover the cost of her treatments. 

    Strauss appeared on America’s Next Top Model in 2007. Following her stint on the show, she became addicted to meth. In 2012, she appeared on The Dr. Phil Show as part of an intervention, which she later said was exploitative

    “First of all, I was interventioned, meaning I did not have a choice. I do feel that The Dr. Phil Show exploited me and has done that to other people and their addictions,” she said in 2016. However, she said the silver lining was that her appearance on the show might have helped other people who were grappling with addiction. 

    “I have an inner conflict, because I know that my story has helped so many people. The number one important thing in my life is to help other people, so I wouldn’t change that, but it was not voluntary,” she said. 

    At the time, Strauss said she had found a lot of joy in sobriety. 

    “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life,” she said. “This journey was very unexpected. I’ve been sober for three years and three months now. Not a drink, not a pill, not a joint, not a line, nothing. It’s really amazing. It’s a huge miracle to still be breathing after what I was up to and I’m so grateful. Whatever path and twists and turns I had to take to get here, I don’t regret any of them.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Mac Miller’s Official Cause Of Death Revealed

    Mac Miller’s Official Cause Of Death Revealed

    The 28-year-old rapper passed away in early August.

    A coroner has confirmed Mac Miller’s cause of death. The 26-year-old rapper and music producer (born Malcolm McCormick) died at home in Studio City, California on Sept. 7. Given his history of substance use, early reports pointed to drugs.

    On Monday (Nov. 7), the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed that McCormick had died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol due to mixed drug toxicity.

    The rapper, who had a tour planned for October following the Aug. 3rd release of his album Swimming, was discovered by his personal assistant in his bedroom. McCormick “struggles with sobriety and when he ‘slips’ he consumes them in excess,” his assistant said, adding that he’d had “several recent ‘slips’” including one three days prior to his death.

    In a 2015 interview with Billboard, the rapper said he was in a good place. “I’m not doing as many drugs. It just eats at your mind, doing drugs every single day, every second. It’s rough on your body,” he said.

    Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid painkiller said to be 50 times stronger than heroin, has also been cited in the deaths of Prince (April 2016) and Tom Petty (October 2017). According to the National Center on Health Statistics, fentanyl was involved in 60% of opioid-related deaths in 2017, an 11% increase from five years prior.

    While fentanyl was created for cancer pain, it is now fueling rising rates of drug overdose deaths. This has prompted the need for a stronger opioid overdose “antidote” to match the strength of increasingly potent fentanyl analogs.

    And this month, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new, more powerful opioid painkiller called Dsuvia. This new drug is said to be 10 times stronger than fentanyl and 1,000 times stronger than morphine.

    While Dsuvia is intended for restricted use only in health care settings—the FDA promised to place “very tight restrictions” on the drug—critics worry that it will only worsen the opioid crisis.

    “We have worked very diligently over the last three or four years to try to improve the public health, to reduce the number of potent opioids on the street,” said Dr. Raeford Brown, who chairs the FDA advisory committee that voted to approve Dsuvia, despite his opposition. “I don’t think this is going to help us in any way.”

    View the original article at thefix.com