Drug & Booze Tragedy: 'True Blood' Star Nelsan Ellis' Family Reveals Addiction Led To Death

And now, in an effort to bring awareness to the seriousness of addiction, the late actor's family has released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, via his manager Emily Gerson Saines:

"Nelsan's father has bravely agreed for me to share the circumstances of Nelsan's heart failure. Nelsan has suffered with drug and alcohol abuse for years. After many stints in rehab, Nelsan attempted to withdraw from alcohol on his own. According to his father, during his withdrawal from alcohol he had a blood infection, his kidneys shut down, his liver was swollen, his blood pressure plummeted, and his dear sweet heart raced out of control.

On the morning of Saturday July 8th, after four days in Woodhull Hospital, Nelsan was pronounced dead. Nelsan was a gentle, generous and kind soul. He was a father, a son, a grandson, a brother, a nephew, and a great friend to those that were lucky enough to know him. Nelsan was ashamed of his addiction and thus was reluctant to talk about it during his life. His family, however, believes that in death he would want his life to serve as a cautionary tale in an attempt to help others."

Nelsan Ellis is survived by his grandmother, Alex Brown,, his father, Tommie Lee Thompson, and his son, Breon Ellis, as well as four sisters and three brothers. May he rest in peace.

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