Jonathan Brandis - Death

Death

On November 12, 2003, Brandis died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood from injuries he suffered after he hanged himself. The Los Angeles Police Department released a statement regarding his death:

On November 11, 2003, at about 11:40 p.m., a friend of Jonathan Brandis called police to report that the actor had attempted suicide at his apartment, located in the 600 block of Detroit Avenue. Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire department responded and transported Brandis to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where he eventually died from his injuries. Brandis's death was pronounced by hospital staff on November 12, 2003, at about 2:45 p.m.

Brandis did not leave a suicide note, although friends were quoted as saying he was depressed about his career, which had slowly declined in recent years. One friend admitted that Brandis drank heavily, and had even mentioned that he was going to kill himself. He was also said to be upset when his appearance in Hart's War, a role he hoped would be his comeback, was cut from the film.

Following Brandis's death, Paul Petersen, president of A Minor Consideration—an organization that deals with issues affecting child actors—stated, "Speculations as to the underlying cause of this tragedy are exactly that: speculations. It serves no purpose to leap to conclusions for none of us will really know what led Jonathan to his decision to take his life."