Former Child Actor Dead at 24: Family of Sophie Nyweide Confirms Her Passing

Sophie Nyweide, a former child actress who appeared in 12 movies and television series between 2006 and 2015, died on Monday, April 14 at the age of 24, her family announced in an online obituary.

Born in Vermont, Nyweide made her onscreen debut as the title character in the 2006 movie Bella, and went on to appear in an episode of Law & Order, as well as the films And Then Came Love, Margot at the Wedding, and New York City Serenade the following year.

She is well-remembered for her role in the 2009 romance drama Mammoth, which starred Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams. She also starred in Darren Aronofsky’s 2014 Biblical epic Noah alongside Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Watson. Her final acting credit was in a 2015 episode of the reality series What Would You Do?, per her IMDb profile.

Although Nyweide “dreamed (more like demanded!) to be an actor” and “seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else,” her family said she experienced “struggles and traumas” throughout her life. They described her as a “kind and trusting girl,” adding that “often this left her to being taken advantage of by others. She wrote and drew voraciously and much of this art depicts the depth she had and it also represents the pain she suffered. Many of her writings and artwork are roadmaps of her struggles and traumas.”

“Even with those roadmaps, diagnoses, and her own revelations, those closest to her, plus therapists, law enforcement officers and others who tried to help her are heartbroken their efforts couldn’t save her from her fate,” her obituary reads. “She self medicated to deal with all the trauma and shame she held inside, and it resulted in her death. She repeatedly said she would ‘handle it’ on her own and was compelled to reject the treatment that might possibly have saved her life.”

Nyweide’s cause of death was not disclosed, but her mother, actress Shelly Gibson, told TMZ that an investigation into her daughter’s passing is ongoing and it will be an additional six to eight weeks before the results of an autopsy are in. She added that Nyweide “was using drugs and was a tiny young woman. She was with other people when she died.”

“We are very distraught and mourning. All I can say is her time acting was brief but very happy,” she continued. “She wasn’t a child star in the least and wasn’t subjected to anything hurtful on those films. She was always safe on those sets. Please let her rest in peace now.”

Outside of acting, Nyweide was a competitive snowboarder, which she began at the age of 5, and an “eager adventurer and picked up the customs and even languages of any place she visited… Sophie. A life ended too soon. May it not be in vain. May we all learn from her brief life on earth and do better. Yes, we must all protect our children and do better.”

Her family asked that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made in her name to RAINN — the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.