URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — In Tuesday’s primary, voters in Champaign County expressed a preference for reducing staff and services to address the shortfall in the general fund, according to unofficial results from three advisory questions on the ballot.
The ballot presented voters with three choices: increasing property taxes, increasing sales taxes, or deciding between a tax increase and personnel cuts.
Inset: Manuel Ortiz (KLAS/YouTube). Background: Video played in court that allegedly shows Manuel Ortiz unleashing a sucker punch on a man he saw acting “lovey-dovey” with his boyfriend (KLAS/YouTube).
A man from Nevada suffered a severe head injury after being unexpectedly attacked by a stranger on the Las Vegas Strip, reportedly due to showing affection to his boyfriend. The incident, described by authorities and witnesses as a hate crime, left the victim unconscious on the pavement.
During the court proceedings for Manuel Ortiz, who faces charges of battery causing substantial bodily harm with a hate motivation for the 2023 attack, a witness recounted seeing the couple peacefully holding hands and kissing. The witness shared these observations during Ortiz’s arraignment last week.
Ortiz allegedly hurled a homophobic slur at the victim, Juan Cortez, as reported by Cortez and his boyfriend, Andre Rodriguez, who spoke to local CBS station KLAS following the court session.
The couple was enjoying a date night, which included attending a Romeo Santos concert at the T-Mobile Arena, when they crossed paths with Ortiz and two others, according to KLAS.
Cortez shared during the arraignment that Ortiz and his companions allegedly mocked them with derogatory language, expressing disbelief and disdain for the presence of LGBTQ+ individuals in the country.
Surveillance video shown in court allegedly shows Ortiz sucker punching Cortez moments after throwing a beer can at him and being confronted about it by Cortez and Rodriguez, per KLAS.
“All I remember, I was looking at my partner, seeing him go down, and I blacked out,” Rodriguez recounted. “I was really scared,” he said. “I was really scared that Juan was going to die.”
The witness who testified said they saw Cortez “falling to the ground” and then “his head gets cracked open,” according to KLAS. He had to be hospitalized after the alleged incident and received a blood transfusion, as well as stitches.
“I was terrified, you know, I didn’t know why this was something that happened to us,” Rodriguez said. “And I never thought that it would be something that happened here in Las Vegas.”
A local police detective testified that he received a tip last year leading to the arrest of Ortiz and he was charged following an investigation. Ortiz’s defense attorney insists that his alleged actions did not stem from hate and that Cortez started an altercation with Ortiz.
“No one said he was wearing a KKK shirt. There is no evidence, literally, of hate,” lawyer Craig Mueller argued, according to KLAS.
“What was the motivation? Somebody said they heard ‘f—t’ being used, okay…The other guy came up and started cursing at a group of strangers and got hit exactly one time,” Mueller said. “This isn’t a hate crime. It’s a guy who got drunk and decided to pick a fight with some strangers.”
A jury trial is scheduled to take place on Aug. 3.
In a disturbing incident on the New South Wales south coast, a man was shot during an armed robbery and carjacking at a hotel late last night. The event unfolded around 10:30 p.m. when emergency services responded to a call from a hotel located on Campbell Street in Narooma.
Upon arrival, paramedics found a 31-year-old man who had sustained a gunshot wound. He received immediate medical attention at the scene before being transported to Moruya Hospital. Fortunately, he is reported to be in stable condition.
According to police reports, an unidentified individual entered the hotel and shot the victim before making off with stolen cash. The authorities are actively investigating the incident and are seeking any information that could lead to the identification and capture of the suspect.
READ MORE: Peter Malinauskas is considered the frontrunner in South Australia’s upcoming state election, but his victory is not a foregone conclusion
Police were told an unknown man had gone into the hotel and shot the 31-year-old before stealing cash.
He allegedly threatened people inside the hotel, demanding more money before fleeing.
Police were told the man then approached a 17-year-old driver in a Toyota Land Cruiser in a nearby car park before demanding the teen get out of the car, threatening them with the gun.
The unknown man left the scene in the car, and it was found shortly after, burnt out on the Princes Highway in Narooma.
The fire was extinguished shortly after, and police are now investigating the incident.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make an online report.
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United States military forces executed a deadly operation against a ship believed to be linked to recognized terrorist groups in the Eastern Pacific. This mission, as confirmed by U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), aimed at disrupting an ongoing drug trafficking network.
The directive for the strike was issued by SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan. This decision came after intelligence verified that the vessel was navigating established drug smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific.
The craft, suspected of engaging in narcotics trafficking, was a low-profile vessel frequently referred to as a “narco sub.” These vessels are specifically built to avoid detection and are commonly utilized for transporting drugs from South America to regions such as Central America or Mexico.
Footage released by the U.S. Southern Command captured the vessel in transit prior to the strike.
Video showed the boat traveling before the strike. (U.S. Southern Command)
Three suspected narco-terrorists survived the strike, and USSOUTHCOM said it had immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the search and rescue system for the survivors.
It is unclear how many people died in the attack. No U.S. military forces were harmed, according to officials.
Video showed a bright flash during the kinetic strike. (U.S. Southern Command)
The strike comes weeks after the Pentagon carried out a lethal strike on a vessel allegedly carrying suspected narco-traffickers in the Eastern Pacific, killing six people on board.
The March 8 strike was also ordered by Donovan, who took over SOUTHCOM in January.
Six men on the ship were killed, but no U.S. forces died in the attack.
Video showed the boat after the strike. (U.S. Southern Command)
At least 156 people have been killed in alleged drug smuggling ship strikes ordered by the Trump administration, according to The New York Times.
ORLANDO, Fla. – In an effort to enhance road safety and driver awareness, News 6’s traffic safety expert, Trooper Steve, takes on viewer questions to clarify the often confusing traffic laws for Central Florida’s drivers. His insights aim to foster a more informed driving community.
Recently, Trooper Steve addressed a common concern among motorists: the perplexing situation of being “stuck” in an intersection. A viewer posed the question, “Why was I issued a ticket when I entered the intersection on a green light but ended up trapped due to halted traffic?”
Understanding the rules of the road is crucial, and Trooper Steve sheds light on such scenarios that many drivers find themselves in. His guidance not only serves to resolve individual queries but also helps prevent future traffic violations.
In related news, Sanford has increased the deployment of speed-measuring devices, further emphasizing the region’s commitment to traffic safety. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that roads remain safe for all users.
Here’s the scenario.
You’re driving in heavy traffic, the light turns green and everything starts moving. You pull into the intersection, only for traffic ahead to suddenly stop. The light changes, and now you’re stuck in the middle of the intersection. Moments later, you’re being pulled over… cited for blocking it.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It’s a situation drivers ask about often, especially when their intention was to move through legally.
Under Florida law, drivers are not permitted to enter an intersection unless they can complete the maneuver and fully clear it.
[VIDEO BELOW: Merging dos and don’ts]
While entering on a green light is required, it does not override the responsibility to ensure there is enough space on the other side of the intersection to continue moving.
This is why a citation can still be issued even when the light was green at the time a driver entered. The violation isn’t about the color of the signal, it’s about stopping within the intersection and obstructing traffic once the signal changes.
A good way to understand this rule is to compare it to making a left turn. Drivers are expected to wait until they know they can safely complete the turn before beginning it. Entering an intersection in heavy traffic follows the same principle. If traffic ahead is backed up, drivers should leave enough space or wait through the cycle until they can move all the way through.
[ASK TROOPER STEVE:Send your question to Trooper Steve]
Blocking intersections doesn’t just slow traffic, it creates safety risks for cross traffic, emergency vehicles and pedestrians who rely on clear intersections to move safely.
The takeaway is simple: a green light gives you permission to go, not a guarantee that you should. When traffic is thick, patience and spacing are the difference between moving smoothly and getting an unexpected ticket.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Following Tom Brady’s high-profile roasting in a Netflix comedy special, the streaming giant has now turned its attention to its next celebrity target: Kevin Hart.
Netflix revealed that the “roast master himself” will be on the receiving end of some comedic jabs during a live comedy event at the Netflix Is A Joke Fest in Los Angeles. Shane Gillis is slated to host the night, with a roster of comedians who are yet to be announced.
Titled The Roast of Kevin Hart, this event is scheduled to go live from The Kia Forum on Sunday, May 10 at 8/7c. Hart will join forces with Casey Patterson, Jeff Ross, Amy Zvi, and Dave Becky as executive producers for the roast.
This isn’t Hart’s first roasting experience on the streaming platform.
Back in 2024, Hart was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center. The event, which premiered on Netflix, was part of a long-term collaboration with the Kennedy Center, showcasing a star-studded assembly of celebrities, including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Regina Hall, Chelsea Handler, and numerous others, all gathered to celebrate Hart’s comedic legacy.
Somehow, the evening turned into a roast of the world-famous comedian, with several of his colleagues taking shots at him throughout the ceremony.
But Hart knows how to take the heat. Puck News reported Netflix was considering Will Smith amongst “a few” celebrities to participate in the next roast. Surprisingly, it was reported Smith was considering the opportunity, however, it looks like the honor will go to Hart instead.
This marks Netflix’s first live roast since Brady’s inaugural special, The Roast of Tom Brady, which did not go as well as Brady might have hoped. The evening featured appearances and jokes from Nikki Glaser, Kim Kardashian and more, who took aim at his storied football career, as well as his divorce from supermodel Gisele Bündchen and the impact their separation had on his family.
But Brady admitted soon after the roast that he “wouldn’t do that again,” adding, “It affected actually the people that I care about the most in the world.”
“I liked when the jokes were about me. I thought they were so fun,” he said at the time. “I didn’t like the way they affected my kids.”
According to Netflix, The Roast of Tom Brady earned 26 million views to date and spent three weeks in the Global Top 10 after it aired in 2024.
Former New York Yankees standout Brett Gardner and his family have initiated legal proceedings against a Costa Rican resort following the tragic death of his 14-year-old son due to carbon monoxide poisoning last year.
The lawsuit, filed almost exactly a year after the devastating event on March 21, 2025, holds the owners and associated parties of the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio Beach responsible for the tragic incident.
During what was intended to be a relaxing family vacation, young Miller Gardner lost his life, and Brett Gardner, along with other family members, fell ill. Authorities in Costa Rica identified carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause.
Subsequent tests revealed that Miller had elevated levels of carboxyhemoglobin at the time, a dangerous compound formed when carbon monoxide attaches itself to hemoglobin in the bloodstream.
The lawsuit contends that inadequate ventilation in the resort’s machine room allowed carbon monoxide to escape, leading to Miller’s untimely death and causing harm to his family.
According to the Motley Rice law firm, via The New York Post, the Gardner family is suing the resort for ‘gross negligence, wrongful death, emotional distress, vicarious liability, breach of warranty, loss of filial consortium and other causes of action.’
Ex-Yankees star Brett Gardner (right) and his family have filed a lawsuit against the Costa Rican resort where his son Miller (second from right) died last year
The Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort had contested claims of carbon-monoxide poisoning
The defendants include people who own and operate the resort, including David Callan and R. Scott Williams, as well as Hawk Opportunity Fund LP – a Newtown, Pennsylvania-based venture capital firm.
Daily Mail has contacted the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort for comment.
Gardner and his wife, Jessica, announced Miller’s death via the Yankees on March 23. They said he had fallen ill along with other members of the family on the vacation, where they were staying at the $1,000-a-night Arenas Del Mar resort.
Desperate medics battled in vain for 30 minutes to try to kickstart his heart after he was found by a frantic family member who raised the alarm, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed at the time.
Brett, Jessica and their eldest son Hunter had all suffered severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea following dinner at an outside restaurant the night before.
Initially there had been suggestions that food poisoning or an extreme reaction to medication had caused Miller’s death. But a statement in early April from Randall Zuniga – general director of the OIJ in Costa Rica – said that carbon monoxide exposure had killed him.
‘Concentrations above 50% are already lethal. In this case, the saturation percentage is higher, thus proving the police’s hypothesis that the death was due to exposure to carbon monoxide,’ he said.
‘Other drug tests were conducted, including fentanyl and other substances; all were negative.’
Miller was discovered not breathing the morning after the whole family had become violently ill
Gardner, wife Jessica and their family had fallen ill in Costa Rica shortly before Miller’s death
A spokesperson for the resort had denied that carbon monoxide was present in Miller’s room, saying in April: ‘The levels in the hotel room were non-existent and non-lethal. There was an error in this initial reporting.’
They added that the poisonous fumes were detected in a ‘mechanical room that guests do not occupy’. But the room the family stayed in was still cordoned off at the time out of caution.
Back in September, the Arenas Del Mar resort was raided by the authorities for the very first time.
Prosecutor Kenneth Alvarez told ESPN that the three-hour raid was so investigators could collect additional evidence.
‘Let us remember that what was done at that time was the measurement of toxic substances at the site,’ Alvarez told ESPN. ‘Based on those tests, a second proceeding was scheduled, which was carried out today to collect evidence.’
Three pickup trucks carrying agents from Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department stormed the hotel to carry out the raid. They searched management, maintenance and accounting offices and collected both physical and digital evidence.
Several members of the hotel’s staff were also interviewed. Alvarez also said his investigation was focusing on a potential allegation of manslaughter but no arrest or charges had been made.
The cast of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is mourning the loss of their co-star Nicholas Brendon, who has passed away at the age of 54.
Alyson Hannigan, known for her role as Willow Rosenberg on the iconic series, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram this past Friday.
“My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers,” she wrote alongside a still from the show’s sixth season. “I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP 💔😢.”
Emma Caulfield, Brendon’s on-and-off screen love interest, expressed her grief on Instagram Stories, stating, “My heart is heavy. I can’t put into words just yet how this has hit me.”
She also posted a video of the duo’s performance from the memorable musical episode in Season 6, adding, “Rest Nicky. Rest. I love you.”
The actor’s death was announced by family in a social media statement on Friday.
“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” the statement read. “He passed in his sleep of natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years.”
“In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans,” it continued.
“He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.”
“While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing.”
The message concluded by asking the public for privacy as the actor’s surviving family members “grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart.”
Prior to his death, the “Criminal Minds” alum had been hospitalized after suffering a “cardiac incident” in 2022, and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
“Nicky is doing fine now but he had to be rushed to emergency about two weeks ago because of a cardiac incident (tachycardia/arrhythmia),” his sister captioned a since-deleted carousel on his Instagram account at the time, showing the beloved actor in an ambulance and hospital room.
“Some of you might remember he had a similar incident after his second spinal surgery last year (for Cauda Equina) but this time. He is trying to get a little more rest and has been concentrating on medical appointments.”
The actor had also undergone spinal surgeries in recent years to address paralysis in his legs and genitals, which his manager had claimed was exacerbated by sleeping on concrete in a jail cell following an arrest for prescription fraud in 2021.
In a 2017 interview with the A.V. Club, the actor, who played Xander Harris in “Buffy,” gushed over the cast.
When asked who he’d play if he weren’t cast as Xander, he quipped, “Buffy, and for reasons I won’t even tell you.”
He added, “It’s just that everyone did such a great job. It was one of those shows that I just feel was perfectly cast.”
Jean, a 22-year-old, often finds herself mistakenly flagged by age-estimation systems as being under 16.
Though she doesn’t indulge in adult content, which typically necessitates age verification, she encountered this age-related hurdle while attempting to access a Substack account. The platform required her to face an age assurance system, which prompted her to provide a facial image.
“I figured it would be straightforward,” Jean explained. “I was okay with taking a selfie, but it didn’t work. Initially, I found it amusing and thought maybe the lighting or the angle was off, so I tried again.”
Despite multiple attempts, the system persistently failed to verify Jean as being over 18, she shared with The Feed.
Ultimately, Jean resorted to seeking help from a colleague, who used their own face to help her get past the system’s barrier.
Age assurance systems are known to sometimes overestimate or underestimate age and have also shown reduced accuracy for non-Caucasian users, older adults or female-presenting users.
Jean has since experimented with different age assurance systems and discovered she can only be recognised as over 16 but not over 18. While other methods of age assurance are available in some cases, including handing over documentation, Jean says she’s concerned about the security risks of doing so.
She also says it’s raised challenging questions for her about what she can and can’t do online now.
Jean says new age verification requirements rolled out earlier this month by the eSafety Commissioner could lead to a “ludicrous” situation where she could be cut off from content like porn that she should be able to legally access.
“I think I’d always valued the internet as being free and open, or at least something like that, and it feels like a really ludicrous form of government overreach,” she says.
“I feel like I have a parent watching me over my shoulder.”
Jean says she wouldn’t be surprised if these feelings of surveillance change how people view porn online and lead to concerns around blackmail about intimate details of porn consumption.
“It’s something that is very sensitive and taboo and you’re putting people in a very vulnerable position when they have to give such sensitive private information to access it.”
The age verification methods used for accessing porn have also been questioned by some Reddit users online.
“New age and identity verification rules open up whole new worlds of identity theft scams and sexploitation scams,” one user wrote.
Earlier this month, major porn sites including Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn unceremoniously blocked Australian users from their adult content.
Australians visiting Pornhub now — previously the most visited adult site in the country — will find a landing page of safe-for-work content, dominated by podcast thumbnails.
The Pornhub block was a response to the latest phase of the eSafety Online Safety Codes, which require strict age verification on content identified as unsuitable for users under 18.
They also restrict content containing high-impact violence, self-harm material and content relating to suicide and disordered eating.
Laura Roscioli, a sex columnist and podcaster, says Pornhub blocking Australians from its X-rated content will feel like a “massive loss” to a lot of people.
While Laura hasn’t visited the site herself for a long time, she refers to it as the “Kmart of porn”. Before the block, it drew tens of millions of views in Australia every month.
“Pornhub is so massive, it sort of defines porn — online, digital porn. For most people, I think when they think about watching porn online, they think Pornhub,” she says.
The codes that have led to Australia’s most-visited porn site blocking users are designed to protect children’s safety online, but the fallout has also raised questions around how age verification will change adults’ approach to these sites.
Any websites hosting pornography in Australia will now need to verify users’ ages through systems such as facial-age estimation, digital wallets or photo ID.
Simply asking users to confirm they’re over 18 no longer suffices, and breaches of eSafety’s Age-Restricted Material Codes can result in fines of $49.5 million per breach.
Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, compared the new restrictions to real-world expectations that children can’t walk into over-18s venues like adult stores or casinos.
Grant said the codes ensure that children are “having age-appropriate experiences and not being exposed to potentially harmful content too early”.
Research published by eSafety last year found 32 per cent of Australian 10- to 17-year-olds had been exposed to sexual images or videos online, and 23 per cent had seen sexually explicit material in the past 12 months.
Aylo, the Canadian company that owns Pornhub as well as a number of other adult websites, argued that the new codes would “not effectively protect minors, and instead creates harms relating to data privacy and exposure to illegal content on non-compliant platforms”.
Aylo and Pornhub blocking the Australian market wasn’t an unexpected move, according to professor Lisa Given, a researcher in human information behaviour from RMIT.
“That’s certainly the easiest way to comply, and it didn’t affect existing customers,” she tells the Feed.
The codes that led to Pornhub blocking Australians are part of a number of age verification regulations that have been rolled out recently in Australia across different platforms and contexts.
The government has left the methods of age verification up to platforms to decide. These can range from verification using third-party sites or using government-issued ID or credit cards to assurance technology that estimates a user’s age based on their face.
However, verification with ID has spurred widespread privacy concerns, and age assurance technology is far from foolproof, as demonstrated by Jean’s case.
There has been a surge in VPN (virtual private network) downloads since the pornography age verification requirement came into effect.
VPNs mask a user’s IP address with a private internet connection, meaning their browsing history and location are untraceable.
Three VPN apps are currently among Australia’s top 20 apps in Apple’s app store.
While there is no data available on what these VPNs are being used for, experts say this could be a combination of under-18s seeking to bypass verification blocks, as well as adults seeking to access Aylo sites and adults who want to avoid handing over details for age verification.
Given says it’s possible that age verification is making some adults concerned about the privacy of their online porn habits, and VPNs are a solution to this problem.
She compared the feeling of using these systems to walking into a store and purchasing pornographic magazines 30 years ago.
“I think pornography use, even though it’s legal, there’ll be some people that really don’t want that disclosed or they don’t want their neighbour finding out that they’re looking at pornography,” Given says.
“There are many people that have become used to being able to look online, find the content they want and not feel like anyone’s looking over their shoulders — even if that may not be digitally true.”
Belinda Barnet, a senior media lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology, tells the Feed many adults may continue to use VPNs for the long term — even if sites like Pornhub unblock content in Australia — to protect their privacy online.
“As long as you get a good VPN and not some kind of cheap random one which has other issues related to it, then that’s a good protective measure for you to take,” she says.
However, Barnet believes, in the long term, a trusted and standardised third-party platform should be introduced to mitigate privacy concerns.
Laura believes there may also be an opportunity now as users assess their online porn consumption to consider so-called ‘ethical’ porn sites, which use ethical production and depict safe sex, consent, pleasure and a variety of sexual practices.
Aylo has been accused of a number of infringements in recent years, including hosting content and accepting money from a channel that involved sex trafficking, failing to block child sexual abuse material, and enabling non-consensual material to be shared.
Aylo lists its safety and security policies on its website, including scanning all content for hashtags to prevent known child sexual abuse material, a content flagging and removal system for illegal material reported by users and deterrence messaging to users who attempt to search for potentially illegal material.
Laura says that while these sites often require a small membership fee, some users could reflect on their viewing habits and where they choose to consume porn.
“I wonder if people will feel the loss and — just because we’re such creatures of habit — try to find a way to get back onto Pornhub. Or if we’ll find another way and other places to find [pornography] — that could be a really positive thing to come out of it, I think.”
Nicholas Brendon, beloved actor known for his iconic roles, has died at 54, his family announced on Friday.
Brendon was renowned for portraying Xander Harris in the hit series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and also played Kevin Lynch in “Criminal Minds.”
The family expressed their grief through a heartfelt statement on his Instagram, saying, “With heavy hearts, we share the news of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon’s passing. He left us peacefully in his sleep due to natural causes.”
Accompanying the announcement was a touching group photo featuring Brendon with four family members, highlighting their close bond.
Remembering his vibrant passion for the arts, his family paid tribute by showcasing photos of his acting career and some of his artwork, celebrating his ‘enthusiastic talent.’
‘Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years,’ the statement read.
Nicholas Brendon passed away at the age of 54, his family confirmed on Friday; pictured in June 2017
The actor was best known for playing Xander Harris in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; pictured in 1997 portrait, from left to right: David Boreanaz, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon
‘In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art,’ it continued. ‘Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans.’
His family described the multi-hyphenate artist as ‘passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create.’
‘Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.’
‘Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination and heart,’ his family members concluded in their joint statement.
‘Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.’
The statement shared by the late actor’s family was edited, but an earlier version published just hours earlier suggested that Brendon was going through treatment at the time of his death.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, his family previously wrote: ‘While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing.’
In 2023, the actor previously revealed that he had suffered a heartattack and was subsequently diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, per the outlet.
He played the lovable sidekick to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character Buffy Summers; pictured in October 1998
Brendon appeared in all seven seasons of the hit TV series, which aired from 1997 to 2003; pictured in 1998 still, from left to right: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Charisma Carpenter, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan and Seth Green
; pictured from left to right: Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Cordelia Chase
He also once opened up about his addiction struggles, explaining that also played a role in his ongoing health battles, including cauda equina syndrome.
Because he had cauda equina syndrome — the compression of a collection of nerve roots located at the bottom of the spinal cord, per the Cleveland Clinic — he was required to undergo multiple corrective spinal surgeries over the years.
Late last year, Brendon also underwent ‘knee surgery,’ according to his Facebook post in November 2025.
Brendon’s struggles with substance abuse and mental health became public in his 30s and resulted in multiple arrests.
Starting in 2010, he was charged with offenses including felony vandalism, resisting or obstructing officers, criminal mischief and felony corporal injury to a spouse, with the latter ending in a plea deal and three-year probation.
He later issued apologies and also opened up on Dr. Phil about his addiction and mental health challenges.
In Buffy, Brendon played the lovable sidekick to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s titular character, and together, they appeared in all seven seasons of the hit supernatural drama series, which aired from 1997 to 2003.
Four of Brendon’s family members were seen posing with him in a group photo that they shared alongside the statement
His family said in a statement that the actor ‘passed in his sleep of natural causes’
Alyson Hannigan later took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute to her late costar
He also played recurring roles on Criminal Minds as well as in Kitchen Confidential, a sitcom starring Bradley Cooper and based on Anthony Bourdain’s same-name memoir aired on Fox for only one season.
In addition to his major television roles, he was also known for starring in the 2000 film adaptation of Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party alongside Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams.
Shortly after the tragic news was announced, his costar Alyson Hannigan was among the first to pay tribute to Brendon on social media.
The actress, who played Willow Rosenberg in Buffy, took to Instagram as she remembered some of their fond memories.
‘My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers,’ she wrote alongside a photo of them hugging and crying during an emotional scene.
‘I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP,’ she wrote alongside emojis of a broken heart and a crying expression.
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