Verne Troyer's death latest suicide for Hollywood community
The recent death of Verne Troyer marks a sad pattern for what has seemed to be a constant norm for
Verne Troyer's death was ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County coroner on Wednesday.
The 49-year-old actor died of "sequelae of alcohol intoxication" or alcohol abuse, according to a report released by the coroner and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
Troyer, known for his role as Mini-Me in the “Austin Powers” movie series, died on April 21, a spokesperson for the actor and his social media pages confirmed at the time.
“It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today,” a statement from his family read. “Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh.”
“Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible,” it continued. “Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday.”
VERNE TROYER, MINI-ME IN 'AUSTIN POWERS' MOVIES, IS DEAD AT 49, SPOKESPERSON CONFIRMS
The post went on to describe how Troyer inspired people and exceeded expectations. “Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he’d be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined,” the post said. “He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know.”
It also said he was “a fighter” and had his share of “battles” during his life, “but unfortunately this time was too much.”
“Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help,” the post said.
Last year, the late actor was admitted to the hospital for alcohol addiction, People Magazine reported. Troyer took to Instagram in April 2017 to tell fans that he’d “been receiving treatment” and added, “With your support, I got this.”
“As you know, I’ve battled alcohol addiction in the past and while it’s not always been an easy fight, I’m willing to continue my fight day by day,” he wrote.
Troyer took on the role as Dr. Evil’s diminutive clone, Mini-Me, in the "Austin Powers" movies, which starred Mike Myers as the British spy, Powers, and Dr. Evil, his archnemesis.
Fox News' Elizabeth Zwirz contributed to this report.
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