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Departed

Sawyer Sweeten, 'Everybody Loves Raymond' child actor, dead at 19

By Fox News
Published | Updated
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    This 2010 image shows 'Everybody Loves Raymond' actor Sawyer Sweeten, who died in an apparent suicide April 23, 2015 at a family members' home in Texas (AP)

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    Actors and twins Sawyer, left, and Sullivan Sweeten at the Los Angeles premiere of the movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on November 14, 2001. (Reuters)

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    Cast members of "Everybody Loves Raymond", (back L-R) Monica Horan, Peter Boyle, Brad Garrett, Ray Romano, (middle L-R) Madylin Sweeten, Patricia Heaton, Doris Roberts, (front L-R) Sawyer Sweeten and Sullivan Sweeten, pose for a group photo at the series wrap party in Santa Monica, California April 28, 2005. (Reuters)

Former "Everybody Loves Raymond" child actor Sawyer Sweeten died Thursday at the age of 19 at a family member's home in Texas.

Sweeten's older sister Madilyn confirmed her brother's death in a statement released Thursday.

"This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred. We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life," the statement said. "He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love."

Madilyn echoed the last part of her sentiment in a post on her Facebook page.

"At this time I would like to encourage everyone to reach out to the ones you love. Let them have no doubt of what they mean to you."

Sweeten was best known for his role as young Geoffrey Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond," where he starred alongside Madylin and his twin brother Sullivan. The siblings portrayed the children of Ray Romano's character on the CBS sitcom between 1996 and 2005.

"I'm shocked and terribly saddened by the news about Sawyer," Romano in a statement released to People magazine. "He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around. Just a great energy whenever he was there. My heart breaks for him, his family and his friends during this very difficult time."

Sweeten's other co-stars shared their own thoughts and condolences on social media. Doris Roberts, who played Sweeten's grandmother, posted on her Facebook page that Sweeten "was a very sweet young man who will be dearly missed."

Patricia Heaton, Sweeten's onscreen mother, left her own message of condolence on Twitter.

The show's creator Philip Rosenthal released a statement about Sweeten's death.

"We knew and loved Sawyer as a little boy," he stated. "He and his real life siblings Sullivan and Madylin were such a charming, integral part of our TV family. They never failed to make us laugh, or remind of us how we feel about our own children. We are terribly sad to hear this news and our hearts go out to Sawyer’s family."

A native of Brownwood, Texas, Sweeten made his first appearance on "Everybody Loves Raymond before he turned two years old. According to the Internet Movie Database, he also made one appearance on the Disney Channel show "Even Stevens" and appeared in the little-seen 2002 comedy "Frank McKlusky, C.I."

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