"True Blood" star Nelsan Ellis has died at the age of 39. His initial cause of death was announced as heart failure and now, Nelsan's family is giving us more details - and it's pretty tragic.
Apparently, the actor was battling drug and alcohol addiction for years and while trying to withdraw from alcohol on his own, he got a blood infection, his kidneys shut down, his liver was swollen, his blood pressure plummeted, and as his father puts it: his "dear sweet heart" raced out of control. After four days in the hospital, Nelsan lost his battle.
"He was ashamed of his addiction and thus was reluctant to talk about it during his life," Ellis' manager says in a statement. "His family, however, believes that in death he would want his life to serve as a cautionary tale in an attempt to help others."
Source: The Hollywood Reporter