Michael K. Williams’ sister is opening up about his tragic death in a new documentary from A&E. 

In Fame and Fentanyl, which airs August 25, Michelle Chambers discusses The Wire star’s fatal drug overdose at age 54.

“He didn’t want to die, be poisoned, or ingest that poison,” she says in the special, hosted by Ice-T.

‘The Wire’ star was a ‘gentle, kind soul’  

Fame and Fentanyl explores the devastating effects of the fentanyl epidemic, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Americans, including stars such as Prince, Tom Petty, Angus Cloud, Mac Miller, and Coolio. 

In September 2021, Williams’ name was added to that list when he was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment. He’d overdosed on fentanyl-laced heroin. Fans of Williams’ work in shows such as The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, and Lovecraft Country mourned the actor. But for Chambers, the loss was much more personal.   

“I just miss his kindness. He was just such a gentle, kind soul … he was just a heart that this world didn’t deserve,” she says in the documentary. 

“Words cannot express the pain and devastation. The emptiness,” she adds. 

Michael K. Williams spoke about his battle with drugs just days before his death 

Before his death, Williams had been open about his struggles with substance abuse. In a podcast appearance taped just a few days before his overdose, he said acting encouraged him to get clean. 

“I made a deal with God,” he says in a clip from the interview. “I said, ‘God, you know, you give me a second chance at life, I’m gonna put this narcotic down.’ And you want to know when I got back on my feet, who I emerged as? Omar Devon Little,” he said, referring to the character he played on The Wire.   

Williams’ sister said she took comfort in her belief that her brother was in a better place. 

“I do know you’re in no more pain,” she says, recalling her thoughts at her brother’s funeral. “I know that you’re happy now, and you don’t have to deal with the struggles of the world. This mean world. That you’re not alone anymore. That’s how I had to leave him.” 

Fame and Fentanyl also looks into the police investigation into Williams’ fatal overdose and how clues at the scene and Williams’ movements before his death (including surveillance footage of him buying the drugs) led to the arrest of the dealers in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who sold him the tainted heroin. 

“They caught them. There’s nothing they could of done or will do that will ever bring him back. But I am glad that they caught them,” Chambers says. 

But simply putting dealers behind bars isn’t enough, she adds. 

“I am glad that they are serving their time … but we can’t arrest and incarcerate ourselves out of this,” Chambers says. So, she’s making it her mission to change things. 

Chambers, who previously served on the Compton City Council, is now running for the California State Senate. One of her campaign issues? Expanding access to mental health and substance abuse resources to help people with addiction. 

“Let’s make this an issue and get resources behind it,” she says. “We can’t spare another life.” 

Fame and Fentanyl airs Monday, August 25, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on A&E.

How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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