Details of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Star Nicholas Brendon’s Death Revealed

New details have been revealed in the death of Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Nicholas Brendon.

After Brendon died on Friday at the age of 54, Indiana authorities told TMZ that it was a friend who had been helping to care for the actor who was the one to find him dead.

Putnam County Coroner Todd Zeiner told the outlet that when he arrived on the scene, he found “an adult male positioned as if asleep” and who had already been pronounced dead.

Zeiner added to PEOPLE that Brendon “resided alone and was discovered by a longtime friend who had been staying overnight to provide care,” adding that the evidence indicated that the Criminal Minds alum’s time of death was “very recent.”

“Investigators are reviewing recently posted videos as potential evidence of prior illness,” Zeiner continued, noting that Brendon’s family had indicated he had a history of cardiac issues, which included a heart attack in 2023 and a congenital heart defect.

Zeiner said that there were no signs of foul play and that nothing at the scene indicated that Brendon’s death was due to anything unnatural. Toxicology and final autopsy results are still pending.

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The Psycho Beach Party actor’s family confirmed his death on social media on Friday. “We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes,” they began a lengthy post, which described the late star as “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,” the family continued. “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. Our family asks for privacy during this time as we 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.”

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Brendon is best known for playing Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997 to 2003. Following news of his death, Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar remembered her late co-star with a tribute on social media.

“‘They’ll never know how tough it is to be the one who isn’t chosen,’” Gellar, 48, wrote alongside a throwback photo with Brendon, quoting his character Xander. “‘To live so near to the spotlight, and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes, because nobody’s watching me.’”

“I saw you Nicky,” Gellar added. “I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky.”