Suicides, seizures and murdered by their own dad – most harrowing child star deaths

Some actors and actresses spend years trying to make it, but for a lucky few, fame comes before they’re even out of school.

Sadly though, not all get to achieve their true potential with lives cut tragically short by murder, suicide and devastating illness.

They range from a child star of Mary Poppins, to characters in more recent hits like the Harry Potter series of films.

From nightclub slayings to misdiagnosed conditions that ended in death, Star Online looks back at some of the most heartbreaking child stars who have gone too soon…

Rob Knox – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Cause of death: Murder

Rob Knox as Marcus Belby in Harry Potter

British actor Rob – who played Marcus Belby – had only just finished shooting the movie when he was brutally stabbed to death in a frenzied attack outside a bar in Sidcup, Kent, in May 2008.

Killer Karl Bishop butchered the rising star in a merciless 90-second attack after Rob stepped in to defend his younger brother Jamie, then 17.

“It happened in front of me, I didn’t see a knife go in, but I saw Rob go up to get the knives off the boy,” Jamie told the Jeremy Kyle Show in 2018.

“This kid was just swinging his arms around with knives towards people. I’ll never forget it. I turned around and screamed and when I turned back I saw Rob slumped around him, holding himself with his arms.

“He was saying, ‘I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed.”

Bishop was sentenced to life for Rob’s murder.

Mya-Lecia Naylor – Absolutely Fabulous

Cause of death: Hanging by misadventure

Mya-Lecia Naylor was found dead at her family home (Image: Instagram)

The rising CBBC star tragically hanged herself in a marquee at the family home in 2019 aged just 16.

Ambulances were called to the address in South Norwood, south-east London, at about 10am where the star was found to be suffering cardiac arrest.

In the run-up to her death, Mya-Lecia’s dad Martin Naylor said she had been worried about her forthcoming GCSEs and “had not been her normal self.”

The night before she’d been banned from going to a party and instead watched a film with her family, who believe she didn’t actually intend to end her own life.

Mya-Lecia Naylor was a rising BBC star

“I honestly believe she was just making some sort of point. I genuinely believe she did not mean to do it,” Mr Naylor said.

“It was a silly spur of the moment thing. She clearly had plans for the future.”

Mya-Lecia played Saffy’s baby daughter Jane in Absolutely Fabulous and went on to star alongside Tom Hanks in 2012 movie Cloud Atlas.

Heather O’Rourke – Poltergeist

Cause of death: Septic shock and cardiac arrest

Heather O’Rourke starred in 1982 horror Poltergeist (Image: Internet Unknown)

Heather was just seven years old when she was cast as the angelic Carol Anne Freeling in the 1982 Steven Spielberg horror.

The promising child star performed in two sequels before being incorrectly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease amid ongoing stomach troubles.

But she collapsed on January 31, 1988, and medics finally realised she’d actually been suffering from a long-standing bowel blockage.

The 12 year old was rushed into surgery to remove the obstruction, but went into septic shock and tragically died from a heart attack.

Judith Barsi – Land Before Time

Cause of death: Murder

Judith Barsi was murdered by her own father

Little Judith was murdered alongside her mother just months after voicing Ducky in the 1988 movie.

Despite being just 10, she’d already amassed a considerable wealth, earning up to £80,000 a year for voicing orphan Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven and starring in Jaws: The Revenge.

She even helped her parents buy a plush house in West Hollywood, but behind closed doors, her home life had become increasingly traumatic.

Terrified of her abusive father, she started pulling her own eye lashes out.

And on July 25, 1998 he shot Judith in the head before murdering her mother, setting the house alight and shooting himself in the garage.

Sawyer Sweeten – Everybody Loves Raymond

Cause of death: Suicide

Sawyer Sweeten pictured with his twin Sullivan (Image: FilmMagic)

Sawyer – who played twin son Geoffrey Barone in the CBS show – shot himself after suffering a suspected mental breakdown in 2015.

Then aged 19, the actor took his own life on the porch of his family’s Texas home while visiting his parents.

Cannabis was later found in the blood of the star, who joined the show alongside twin brother Sullivan when they were just 16 months old in 1996.

Cameron Boyce – Grown Ups

Cause of death: Seizure

Cameron Boyce died from a seizure due to an ongoing medical condition (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

He was best known for playing Adam Sandler’s son Keithie Feder in 2010’s Grown Ups and Luke Ross in the Disney Channel show, Jessie.

But the star was just 20 years old when he suffered a fatal seizure in his sleep last July.

“It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron,” a family spokesman said.

“He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated.

“The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him.”

Michelle Thomas – The Cosby Show

Cause of death: Stomach cancer

Michelle Thomas played Myra Monkhouse in Family Matters

Michelle played Theo Huxtable’s girlfriend, Justine Phillips, on The Cosby Show for three years but in 1996 she was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer.

Surgeons managed to successfully remove the tumour in a pain-staking operation and she went on to star in music videos for Boyz II Men.

Tragically, the disease returned in 1998 and the mass ruptured, killing the blossoming star at the devastatingly young age of 30.

Matthew Garber – Mary Poppins

Cause of death: Hepatitis

Matthew Garber pictured with Mary Poppins co-star Karen Dotrice, who played Jane Banks (Image: Supplied by LMK)

The British child star found fame as Michael Banks in the 1964 film Mary Poppins but retired from acting aged 10 and spent his late teenage years travelling the world.

Sadly he contracted hepatitis while in India in 1976 – which his brother Fergus, then 13, blamed on infected meat as opposed to claims Matthew had been using drugs.

By the time anyone worked out what was actually wrong and managed to the actor back to the UK, it was too late.

The disease had spread to his pancreas and he died from hemorrhagic necrotising pancreatitis at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London aged 21.

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk