Former Child Star Evan Ellingson's Cause of Death Released
Evan Ellingson is best known for his roles in 'My Sister's Keeper' and 'CSI: Miami.'
Evan Ellingson's cause of death has been determined. The 35-year-old former child actor, who was best known for his role on CSI: Miami and in the 2009 film My Sister's Keeper, was determined to have died due to an accidental fentanyl overdose, according to a Tuesday, Nov. 28 statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's coroner to PEOPLE.
Ellingson was found dead on Sunday, Nov. 5 inside the bedroom of his residence in Fontana, California. Ellingson's father previously told TMZ that the actor had struggled with addiction and was residing in a sober living home at the time of his death. Ellinson is survived by daughter Brooklynn, who was born in 2008, according to Page Six.
Ellingson is best known for his role as Jesse in My Sister's Keeper and as the son of CSI: Miami star David Caruso's character in 18 episodes of the procedural between 2007 and 2010. The late actor also appeared on 24 and Complete Savages before his death, but appeared to have taken a step back from acting, with his last credit being CSI: Miami in 2010.
Following Ellingson's death, his My Sister's Keeper co-star Abigail Breslin paid tribute to her late castmate on Instagram. "Evan Ellingson was a kind, funny and extremely talented human being. He played my big brother in a film I did called My Sister's Keeper. Evan was a genuinely thoughtful person who cared so much about turning in the best performance, which he accomplished. Some of his scenes in MSK still give me chills," she wrote at the time. "He was also silly, funny, a prankster, a lover of Red Bull (I hated the smell of Red Bull) and he was energetic and the life of the party. I didn't keep in touch a lot with him after the film, but he always stayed in my mind as a wonderful and sweet soul, one I am grateful to have crossed paths with. My prayers and condolences are with his family at this difficult time."
She added, "Evan, I know Heaven will welcome you with open arms. Your time on this earth may have been, devastatingly, short. Your humor, exuberance, kindness and bright light will linger forever. Sending you peace on your journey to the great beyond and who knows... maybe one day, I'll meet you in Montana. Xx, abster." Breslin concluded with a side note, asking people not to speculate about Ellingson's death "out of respect for his family including his daughter."