A former child star who found fame as a youngster on NYPD Blue has died of a suspected drug overdose.
Austin Majors first rose to television prominence back in the 1990s as a young star on the popular, long-running New York-based police drama. But over the weekend, he died unexpectedly while staying at a homeless housing facility in Los Angeles. He was just 27 years old.
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Majors — whose real name was Austin Setmajer Raglin — had been staying at the facility over the weekend when he passed on Saturday night, according to TMZ. That outlet reports foul play is not suspected. Instead, insiders believe the actor “may have ingested a fatal amount of fentanyl.” In a subsequent report, Fox News Digital cites Los Angeles city officials who claimed Majors’ death was caused by a “suspected fentanyl poisoning with an ongoing investigation.”
An official cause of death has not been determined yet. Per both outlets, an autopsy was reportedly scheduled for Monday to find more answers. Those results have not been made immediately clear as of Monday night. TMZ also notes a full toxicology report should be available “in the next few months.”
Majors’ sister Kali Raglin shared a statement with the media on Monday following the actor’s heartbreaking death. Per Fox News Digital, the statement read:
“Austin Majors (Setmajer-Raglin) was an artistic, brilliant, and kind human being. Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. 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. He graduated Salutatorian in High School while being an active Eagle Scout and member of the community. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing.”
Kali’s statement went on:
“Austin’s younger sister, Kali, says her fondest memories with Austin were 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.”
And in a Facebok post published on Sunday night, Kali added:
“My big brother, Austin, is gone. He died last night. It’s so surreal to me still. He was only 27 with so much life left to live.”
Ugh. So, so sad.
In his acting career, Majors appeared in seven seasons of NYPD Blue, and later made notable guest appearances in shows including According to Jim, Desperate Housewives, An Accidental Christmas, and How I Met Your Mother.
We send our condolences to Kali and the rest of Austin’s family as they mourn his awful loss.
R.I.P.
[Image via FayesVision/Rachel Worth/WENN]
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