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“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star Nicholas Brendon died Friday, March 20, at the age of 54.
His family confirmed his death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, telling the outlet, “We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon.
“He passed in his sleep of natural causes,” the statement added. “Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years, Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive and endlessly driven to create.
“Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was. While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing.”
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They finished their statement by asking the public “for privacy during this time” as they take the time to “grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart.”
“Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support,” they concluded.
In 2022, a post on his Instagram account shared with fans that the actor had been rushed to the hospital after a cardiac incident, adding he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
He then shared in a 2023 Instagram post that he had a heart attack and multiple spinal surgeries. The actor previously revealed he was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as “the compression of a collection of nerve roots” found “at the bottom of your spinal cord” that control your ability to “move and feel sensations in your legs and urinary bladder.”
Brendon broke into the entertainment business by starring as Xander Harris in all seven seasons of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” from 1997 to 2003.
During that time, he also appeared in films such as “Psycho Beach Party,” “Hard Ground” and “Survivor Island,” later appearing in popular TV shows such as “Private Practice” and “Criminal Minds.”
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“I love that so many of you connected with the show and the characters,” he wrote on Instagram on “Buffy’s” 25th anniversary. “And despite some of the bittersweet memories, I’ll always be so grateful I had the opportunity to play Xander and that it gave me the chance to meet so many of you.”
Brendon struggled with substance abuse and mental health in his 30s and was arrested a number of times on felony charges.
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