Disney Stars Who Tragically Passed Away

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Brad Renfro was a prolific and acclaimed actor in his tragically short life. One of his early roles was Huckleberry Finn to Jonathan Taylor Thomas' Tom Sawyer in Disney's Tom and Huck in 1995, but behind the scenes, Renfro was reportedly dealing with serious substance abuse problems. According to BuzzFeed, sources claimed Renfro was born addicted to heroin, was smoking pot at 9, started drinking by age 11, and began shooting up when he was 12.

Renfro's troubles may have been exacerbated by Hollywood, where he was objectified for his "sex appeal" as a child. Fernando Altschul, the first assistant director on 1998's Apt Pupil, told BuzzFeed that a teenage Renfro attended parties for adults involved with the film. Directed by Bryan Singer, the movie was enveloped in disturbing controversy. "I feel like we've failed children like Brad in some ways," Altschul told BuzzFeed. "Maybe there should be someone who says a person in his situation isn't psychologically ready to be on such a volatile place as a film set. I don't know how you make that judgment, and if you're offering somebody money, [how] they're going to say no to it."

As an adult, Renfro was arrested several times for offenses that included DUI, drug possession, and attempting to steal a yacht. According to The Seattle Times, he died from a heroin overdose in January 2008 at just 25 years old. 

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