Former Child Star Austin Majors Dies At Age 27 While Living in Homeless Facility
Actor Austin Majors has died at age 27.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's website, the star passed on Saturday, February 11, with the cause of death still pending.
An outlet claimed the NYPD Blue alum was living at a homeless facility when they tragedy struck, and though foul play wasn't suspected, it's believed he may have taken a fatal amount of fentanyl.
After the death was confirmed, his family released a statement, calling him "a loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being. Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. He was an active Eagle Scout and graduated Salutatorian in High School. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing."
"From the time he was little, he never knew a stranger and his goal in life was to make people happy. He grew up in a small town where he loved camping and fishing with his family and Boy Scout Troop. He loved his dog, Sunny, and the horse he grew up riding, Balla," the statement continued.
Austin's sister Kali Majors also shared some of their fondest memories together, which involved "growing up on set with him, volunteering at events with Kids With a Cause, and backpacking together. Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever."
Austin appeared on NYPD Blue from 1999 to 2004, and he went on to win a Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a Television Series in 2002.
The late star appeared in a slew of TV shows, including According to Jim, ER, Threshold, NCIS, Desperate Housewives, American Dad, and How I Met Your Mother.
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"Most people will remember him as young Theo Sipowicz on ABC’s NYPD Blue and the voice of Young Jim in Disney’s Treasure Planet, but we will remember him as the caring, generous, and kindhearted individual that he was," Philip Marcus, a director at Clear Talent Group, said in a statement about Austin. "Austin’s talents were boundless."
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TMZ reported on the death. More to come ...