A child star from Everybody Loves Raymond tragically died at the age of just 19.
Sawyer Sweeten shot to fame on the American sitcom. He first appeared on the show, which premiered on this day (September 13) 28 years ago, taking on the role of Geoffrey Barone – Raymond’s onscreen son.
On the show, Sawyer was a cheeky actor, with Geoffrey often bringing in a quick quip to keep the audience entertained with one-liners. He also was not alone on the show, as he was able to take on the role alongside his twin brother Sullivan, as well as older sister Madylin.
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When the show kicked off in 1996, Sawyer was aged just 16 months old, meaning he had very few lines in the early years of the show. But over time, he grew to be one of the most beloved characters on the show until its cancellation in May of 2005.
(Image: Getty Images)
Aged just nine at the time, Sawyer was able to carry on with his life, but things would soon come crashing down. In a tragic end, Sawyer took his own life by shooting himself while visiting family in his native Texas back in April of 2015.
At the time, then-manager Dino May confirmed the news to the media. However, Dino stressed that in the lead-up to his death, there had been absolutely no sign of anything wrong within Sawyer.
Speaking to news cameras soon after to address his client’s death, Dino said: “Everybody was shocked. There was no depression, no nothing. He was a good kid. Teenage stuff, but no depression, no signs or anything.”
(Image: FilmMagic)
But despite these claims from his manager, Sawyer’s cousin Jacklyn Stines said that the child prodigy had been severely depressed. She insisted that she had no specific idea on what had been causing the condition, but she was adamant that the 19-year-old was suffering from depression.
“There is a history of depression in the family, all through,” Jacklyn said. “Many of them are on medication for depression.”
Following a post-mortem investigation, it was confirmed that Sawyer had drugs in his system when he took his own life. A toxicology report on his body found that Sawyer had traces of marijuana in his blood at the time of the death – though how the substance, also known as “cannabinoid”, got into the bloodstream had not been established.
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
Following the discovery of his death, tributes poured in for the sitcom star, with on-screen dad Ray Romano offering some words to The Mirror newspaper. “I’m shocked, and terribly saddened, by the news about Sawyer,” he said.
“He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around, just a great energy whenever he was there,” Ray added. “My heart breaks for him, his family, and his friends during this very difficult time.”
Sister Madilyn also gave a heartfelt tribute to her younger brother, adding that he was just weeks away from reaching his 20th birthday. She finished off her statement with a chilling reminder: “At this sensitive time we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love.”
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
