Late 9-1-1: Lone Star actor Tyler Sanders died from the effects of fentanyl, a coroner's report obtained by ET on Tuesday revealed. Sanders died in June at age 18.
In the wake of the release of the coroner's report, Sanders' family released a statement advocating for mental health awareness and the pain of their loss.
"Tyler was an ambitious, hard-working actor who was dealing with deep and persistent depression. Although actively seeking treatment, Tyler struggled to find relief and chose to experiment with drugs," the late actor's father, David Sanders, said in a statement released to ET on Thursday. "Tyler fell into drug use, not as a way to have fun socially, but rather as an attempt to overcome his profound mental health struggle. While we continue to mourn his death, we are determined to share Tyler’s story in hopes of furthering the conversation around this pervasive issue."
"Losing Tyler due to fentanyl poisoning has been incredibly difficult," his mother, Ginger Sanders, shared. "I want others to understand that we are a family much like all other families who never thought this could happen to us. Tyler had a strong support system and still could not overcome his persistent depression. Perhaps because of his depression, Tyler sought out deep connections and to bring those around him joy. While Tyler quietly fought his inner battles, he was outwardly determined to make sure no one felt as he did. Tyler loved the Lord, loved people and did his best every day. It is our sincere prayer that our story might save others."
Meanwhile, director Joe Nussbaum -- who worked with Sanders on the TV series Just Add Magic: Mystery City -- announced the creation of the Do More 4 Tyler initiative.
"In Tyler’s honor, myself and industry colleagues throughout kids TV have come together to form the 'Do More' Initiative," Nussbaum shared. "We want to improve how the industry approaches the mental health of our youngest and most vulnerable colleagues - child actors.”
The young actor died in his Los Angeles home on June 16. At the time, the Los Angeles County's Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office listed the actor's cause of death as "deferred" before updating the case this week.
Sanders' agent, Pedro Tapia, told Deadline at the time, "Tyler was a talented actor with a bright future. He comes from a wonderful family, and we ask that you respect their privacy at this time."
Sanders had just recently celebrated his 18th birthday, taking to Instagram in February to commemorate the milestone. He posted a photo of himself eating pancakes, writing, "18! I’m an adult! 🎉."
Sanders had appeared in season 3 of 9-1-1: Lone Star with Rob Lowe in April. He also appeared on ABC's The Rookie, NBC's What About Barb? and in the 2019 film The Reliant.
Sanders, who reportedly started acting at age 10, also played the role of Leo on the Prime Video kids series Just Add Magic.
RELATED CONTENT:
