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UPDATE: 6/19/23, 7:13 p.m. ET
Longo’s cause of death was revealed by the Austin medical examiner on Monday, June 19, as “chronic ethanol abuse,” according to documents obtained by TMZ. The report also noted the manner of death was natural and that the body was already decomposing by the time he was found dead on the scene.
Original story:
A shocking loss. Days of Our Lives alum Cody Longo has died at age 34, Us Weekly can confirm.
The soap opera star’s body was reportedly found on Wednesday, February 8, in bed at a residence in Austin, Texas, according to TMZ. The publication was the first to report the news of Longo’s death.
“He was an amazing father and the best husband. Our whole world is shattered,” the Nashville actor’s wife, Stephanie Nicole Clark, told TMZ in a statement on Friday, February 10.
Per TMZ, Clark, 31, was working at her local dance studio on Wednesday and grew worried after being unable to reach her husband, who allegedly had a history of substance abuse. The police, responding to Clark’s call, reportedly found Longo’s unresponsive body in bed.
Following the news of his death, the actor’s manager, Alex Gittelson, took to social media to mourn the loss of his longtime pal.
“Devastated beyond words at the tragic loss of my friend and client, Cody Longo. My heart breaks for his beautiful family. You will be missed, brother,” he tweeted on Friday.
The Hollywood Heights alum appeared to struggle with alcohol abuse for years prior to his passing. In 2013, the Colorado native was charged with a DUI in Los Angeles, per E! News. To avoid jail time, Longo was sentenced to alcohol education classes and sentenced to three years‘ summary probation, the outlet claimed.
“This was an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Longo’s publicist told E! in a statement at the time. “Cody takes it very seriously as his focus is music and acting. He has a great team whom he was with the whole night, and we are taking the next steps legally to clear this up.”
Longo, for his part, took to social media to connect with his fans following the incident. “Everything is fine. I love you guys. Do not worry, stories always get exaggerated,” he tweeted at the time.
In November 2020, the Nickelodeon star was arrested in Tennessee on a domestic assault charge after he allegedly got into a fight with Clark, according to local paper Clarksville Now. Longo, who was released on a $2,500 bail, denied the allegations.
The actor got his big break in 2011 as Nicholas Alamain on Days of Our Lives before starring in Bring It On: Fight to the Finish in 2016. He also appeared on episodes of Nashville and Hollywood Heights, where he portrayed Eddie Duran in 2012.
Longo is survived by his wife and three children: a daughter, 7, and two sons, who are 5 and 12 months, respectively.
