Everybody Loves Raymond child star dead at 19
By Alexandra Heilbron on April 24, 2015 | 9 Comments
Sawyer Sweeten, 19, who played Geoffrey Barone alongside his twin brother, Sullivan Sweeten, on the hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, has died of what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot in Brownwood, Texas.
A source close to the situation told Radar Online, which broke the news: “Sawyer was visiting family in Texas. He went on the front porch and killed himself with a gunshot to his head.”
Sawyer and Sullivan made their TV debut when they were 16 months old on the show, which ran from 1996 to 2005 on CBS. His twin brother Sullivan, and their older sister, Madylin Sweeten, played his siblings. Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton, the stars of the series, played their parents. Patricia responded to the tragic news on Twitter (see below).
Sawyer and Sullivan also made appearances on the Disney series Even Stevens and the drama show Frank McKlusky, C.I., before apparently retiring at the age of 10 in 2005 when Everybody Loves Raymond came to an end. Madylin, however, continued to act steadily through the years and most recently appeared in the indie films Spare Change and Sam and Me, both 2015 releases.
The family has released a statement, which was published by The Hollywood Reporter yesterday afternoon, which read: “This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred. We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love.” ~Alexandra Heilbron
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God bless the Sweeten family as they absorb the immense, tragic, loss of Sawyer. My thoughts and prayers are with each and every one with a most private prayer, for Sullivan, for the loss of his twin … a very intricate part of himself.
God directs our lives, one day at a time, and we are here to support, serve, and love one another unconditionally. To face the end of a lifetime relationship is to find the lesson, the departed gave to each life, to continue to love the person deeply, and to use everything learned, from being blessed by that departed spirit, in all new relationships … beginning today.
My husband and I owe every season of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ and we watch them faithfully and with great love for the people, the humor, and the light in which they continue to give to our own paths.
My sympathies, to the family, and my prayers for comfort, support, and loving care during this time of necessary acceptance and eventual closure in your grief.
God bless.
I LIKE THE SHOW ROYMAND I LIKE IT EVEY MORNING
I LIKE THE SHOW
I LIKE THE SHOW RAYMOND
I too have all nine seasons of EBLR and watch it all the time. My wife and I still laugh. God bless the family and the former cast and all those close to them.
A fun show; a tragic happening. I am very sorry for the whole family and my heart is with them.
may you rest in peace sawyer. to his family and friends. god be with you at this time and for years to come. love the show. watch it everyday.
I have just finished watching the nine seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond which I
enjoyed immensely! I am fortunate to have them, and I will watch them over and over down the road.
May you Rest In Peace,Sawyer. My thoughts and prayers are with his beloved Family.
How can this possibly be? My deepest and sincerest condolences to the family as well as his EBLR family. It is such a great loss of a young person when he had so much to give and his family who I am certain loved him immensely. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Blessings.