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Nelsan Ellis‘ family is speaking out to reveal how the actor’s battle with addiction led to his untimely death.

The True Blood and Elementary actor died at the young age of 39 over the weekend.

TRUE BLOOD CAST SPEAKS: Here’s what Nelsan‘s co-stars are saying

“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,” the family shared in a statement to THR. “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,” the statement added. “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.”

Anna Paquin has nothing but lovely things to say about her former True Blood co-star Nelsan Ellis.

The 34-year-old actress took to social media to honor him after he died due to complications from heart failure at the young age of just 39.

“It was an utter privilege to work with the phenomenally talented and deeply kind soul .@OfficialNelsan I’m devastated by his untimely death,” Anna tweeted.

Anna‘s other co-stars also paid tribute to Nelsan in their own ways.

Our thoughts remain with his family and friends during this difficult time.

Celebrities are speaking out to remember Nelsan Ellis, who sadly passed away this weekend after complications from heart failure.

The actor was best known for his role as Lafayette on True Blood and he also had a recurring role on CBS’ Elementary.

TRUE BLOOD CAST SPEAKS: Here’s what Nelsan‘s co-stars are saying

Stars like Riz Ahmed, who worked with Nelsan on The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and Octavia Spencer, who worked with him on The Help, are among those paying tribute.

Read what the celebs are saying below.

Click inside to read more tweets from celebs… More Here! »

The cast of the beloved series True Blood is speaking out to remember their co-star Nelsan Ellis, who sadly died at the age of 39.

Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Joe Manganiello, Sam Trammell, Kristin Bauer van Straten, and Anna Camp were among the first cast members to write tweets paying tribute to the late actor.

Nelsan passed away after complications from heart failure and fans will always remember his groundbreaking performance as Lafayette on the hit HBO series. His character was killed off in the books, but Nelsan‘s amazing performance inspired the writers to keep him alive and he was featured in all 81 episodes.

Read the tweets below.

Anna Paquin – Sookie Stackhouse

Stephen Moyer – Bill Compton

Joe Manganiello – Alcide Herveaux

Click inside for more tributes from the cast of True Blood… More Here! »

Alan Ball, the creator of the beloved HBO series True Blood, is speaking out to remember the late actor Nelsan Ellis.

The actor passed away at the age of 39 after complications with heart failure.

“Nelsan was a singular talent whose creativity never ceased to amaze me. Working with him was a privilege,” Alan said in a statement (via THR).

HBO also released a statement to pay tribute to the show’s star.

“We were extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Nelsan Ellis,” HBO said in a statement. “Nelsan was a long-time member of the HBO family whose groundbreaking portrayal of Lafayette will be remembered fondly within the overall legacy of True Blood. Nelsan will be dearly missed by his fans and all of us at HBO.”

Nelsan Ellis has sadly passed away at the age of 39.

The actor was best known for his work as Lafayette Reynolds on the hit HBO series True Blood.

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“Nelsan has passed away after complications with heart failure,” the actor’s manager Emily Gerson Saines confirmed to THR. “He was a great talent, and his words and presence will be forever missed.”

Nelsan most recently appeared on the CBS series Elementary in a recurring role and he will be seen in the upcoming movie True to the Game, set for release this September.

We send our thoughts and condolences to Nelsan‘s loved ones during this difficult time.

Ben Stiller is joined by his wife Christine Taylor and their 14-year-old daughter Ella at the premiere of Christine‘s film Little Boxes during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at Chelsea Bow Tie Cinemas on Friday night (April 15) in New York City.

The adorable family was joined by Christine‘s co-stars Nelsan Ellis, Armani Jackson, Miranda McKeon and Oona Laurence.

The film follows an interracial family as they struggle to adjust when they move from New York City to a small, mostly white town in Washington.

20+ pictures inside from the Little Boxes premiere…
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