The Tragic Suicide of Former TV Child Star Sawyer Sweeten ('Everybody Loves Raymond'): 9 Years Later

Photo byimdb.com

It's been eight years since former TV child star Sawyer Sweeten, best known from Everybody Loves Raymond, died tragically by suicide at only 19 years old.

A Closer Look

Sawyer Sweeten, his twin brother Sullivan Sweeten, and their older sister Madylin, played Ray Romano's TV children on Everybody Loves Raymond, the Emmy-winning sitcom that originally aired on CBS 1996 to 2005.

In late April of 2015, Sawyer was visiting family in Texas when he shot himself on the front porch of the family home.

Romano was "Shocked"

Upon learning of Sawyer Sweeten's passing, the cast from Everybody Loves Raymond was desvastated. As the show's star Ray Romano told Entertainment Tonight at the time, he was "shocked, and terribly saddened, by the news about Sawyer. 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."

Sadly Similar

Unfortunately, the horrific demise of Sawyer Sweeten is all-too sad and familiar story in the history of former child stars. Through the decades too many former child actors, whether in their youth or as adults, have found the price of fame to be much too high.

As was the case with performers such as Gary Coleman, Dana Hill, or others of their experience, the difficulties of adjusting to life beyond the spotlight proves to be overwhelming.