Child Star Sophie Nyweide Was Pregnant At Time of Death as Case 'Being Investigated For Foul Play' — After She 'Was Found Lifeless On a Riverbank'
Sophie Nyweide was pregnant at the time of her passing.
April 23 2025, Published 1:50 p.m. ET
Sophie Nyweide's shocking death now carries even more weight – she was expecting a child.
According to her death certificate, the 24-year-old child star was pregnant when she was found dead on April 14. Vermont police have launched a probe, with "foul play" now a focus after her mother suggested drug use, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The ex child star was found 'lifeless on a riverbank' near a high school in Bennington, Vermont.
The Bennington Police Department’s investigation will consider "a range of possible causes, including foul play," officials told TMZ Tuesday.
The outlet also reported the Mammoth actress was discovered "lifeless on a riverbank" near a high school in Bennington around 4 a.m. on April 14.
An autopsy has been completed on Sophie's body, but the cause of death remains undetermined.
Sophie, who appeared in films like 'Noah' and 'Mammoth,' was discovered alongside a man when police arrived.
Bennington police told The Post: "This is an open investigation and we are still waiting on final autopsy and toxicology reports from the Vermont Office of Chief Medical Examiner."
Sophie, who was discovered alongside a man when authorities arrived, was "declared dead at the scene."
While the man was said to have "cooperated with cops," he is reportedly not being treated as a "suspect or person of interest."
The actress, who appeared in films like An Invisible Sign and Noah, was confirmed dead on Tuesday.
Her family released an online obituary, where they shared the news and opened up about her personal struggles.
They wrote: "Sophie was a kind and trusting girl. Often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others.
"She wrote and drew voraciously, and much of this art depicts the depth she had, and it also represents the pain she suffered. Many of her writings and artwork are roadmaps of her struggles and traumas."
Her family also revealed she had been "self-medicating" to cope with her emotional pain, which "resulted in her death."
They continued: "Even with those roadmaps, diagnoses and her own revelations, those closest to her, plus therapists, law enforcement officers and others who tried to help her, are heartbroken their efforts couldn't save her from her fate.
Sophie's family confirmed her death in an online obituary shared on Tuesday, April 22.
"She self-medicated to deal with all the trauma and shame she held inside, and it resulted in her death.
"She repeatedly said she would 'handle it' on her own and was compelled to reject the treatment that might possibly have saved her life."
In a separate statement to TMZ, her mother, Shelly, opened up about her daughter's time on TV and further suggested drug use most likely contributed to her death.
She said: "We are very distraught and mourning. All I can say is her time acting was brief but very happy. She wasn't a child star in the least and wasn't subjected to anything hurtful on those films.
"She was always safe on those sets. Please let her rest in peace now."
She added: "My knowledge is she was using drugs and was a tiny young woman. She was with other people when she died.
"I didn't know them. There is an investigation ongoing. The autopsy results are not in. They said it would take 6-8 weeks. So I can't say definitively."
By the time she was 10, Sophie had starred in seven films – including Noah and Margot at the Wedding – and appeared in TV shows like Law & Order and What Would You Do?
She made her final on-screen appearance in a 2015 episode of the latter.
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Her family remembers her as "creative, athletic and wise beyond her years," recalling how she "dreamed (more like demanded!) to be an actor" – all without knowing her mother had once acted, too.
They added in the obituary: "She seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else.
"It was a safe place for her and she relish from the casts and crews who nourished her talent and her well being.
"She was an eager adventurer and picked up the customs and even languages of any place she visited. She made friends easily at her schools and saw the good in everyone."
Elsewhere in the memorial, Sophie's family requested those wishing to honor her memory make a donation to RAINN – the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.
