The Tragic Death of Clark Gable's Grandson

04/30/2024 11:25 am EDT

Decades after Clark Gable took home his first Oscar for his role in It Happened One Night, and after starring as Rhett Butler in the 1939 epic drama Gone with the Wind, the iconic movie actor's grandson was seemingly following in his grandfather's footsteps. Clark James Gable III was the host of the reality TV series Cheaters and also filming a crime drama titled Sunset Dawn when he tragically died at the age of 30 in February 2019.

The younger Gable passed away at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas after his fiancée found him unresponsive on the morning of February 22, 2019, his sister Kayley Gable shared on Facebook. A spokesperson for the Dallas County Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science later confirmed that Gable died from "the combined effects of fentanyl, oxycodone and alprazolam," adding that "the manner of death is an accident." The medical examiner also determined that Gable had a history of abusing weed, alcohol, and Xanax. His time of death was listed as 9:11 a.m. local time.

"It's is with an extremely heavy heart we say goodbye to my beautiful son Clark. He passed this morning. I will always be next to you my beautiful son. Mom," his mother, racy Yarro Scheff, confirmed her son's passing at the time, adding in a later post, "The outpouring of love for my son has been incredible. Mothers of his friends have sent the most amazing stories. Sentimental letters from beautiful girls that he cared for with attached photos. And all his friends!!! Wow what amazing friends he had. No words only gratitude to you all. Big love."

Gable was buried during a private ceremony at East Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Provo, Utah on March 9, 2019. Sources close to the family told The Blast at the time that his family originally wanted him laid to rest at the family mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, next to his grandfather, whom he was notably close to. However, Gable and his sister had a falling out with their father, John Gable, who barred his estranged son from being buried there.

At the time of his passing, Gable was following in his grandfather's footsteps, forging a career in the entertainment industry. He was best known for hosting the syndicated reality TV series Cheaters, which exposes infidelity within relationships. The series began in 2000 with Gable hosting from 2012 to 2015 before Joey Greco replaced him. He was also an aspiring actor and filmed the dramedy Heckle and was working on the crime drama Sunset at Dawn before his death.

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