By Marisa Laudadio
7:53am PST, Nov 28, 2020
On Nov. 23, "Dallas" actress Linda Gray revealed in a heartbreaking Instagram post that her son, TV director and producer Jeff Thrasher — who's worked on shows including "The Amazing Race Canada" and "Junior Chef Showdown" — had died. "A celebration of my son Jeff's life. He was the kindest, funniest, sweetest human being….. he brought the world such love and was loved by everyone! May his journey be a magical one. ❤️🙏🏻😢🚴♂️," she captioned a slideshow of photos showing Jeff, who was in his 50s, riding a bike and his name written in the sand on a beach. Jeff's dad was Linda's former husband, the late art director and album cover designer Ed Thrasher. Keep reading for more celebrities who lost children in 2020…
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R&B star Bobby Brown suffered another agonizing loss when Bobby Brown Jr., his 28-year-old son with ex-girlfriend Kim Ward, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Nov. 18. Foul play was not suspected, authorities told CNN. Bobby Jr. was "not feeling well a couple days before his death" and was experiencing flu-like symptoms, according to a statement from Bobby Sr.'s attorney. "Please keep my family in your prayers at this time," the music star said in a statement. "Losing my son at this point in our lives has devastated my family. There are no words to explain the pain." Five years earlier, the father of seven also lost 22-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, his only child with ex-wife Whitney Houston.
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On Oct. 16, David James Redford — an activist, filmmaker and philanthropist better known as Jamie, who was the third of actor Robert Redford's four children with historian ex-wife Lola Van Wagenen — died of bile-duct cancer in his liver. He was 58. "The grief is immeasurable with the loss of a child. Jamie was a loving son, husband and father," Robert's rep said in a statement. "His legacy lives on through his children, art, filmmaking and devoted passion to conservation and the environment." Jamie co-founded The Redford Center with his father in 2005 and wrote, directed and produced more than a dozen films — including award-winning documentaries like "Watershed," "Toxic Hot Seat" and "Mann v. Ford" — during his career.
On May 13, music star Melissa Etheridge announced heartbreaking news: Her son with ex Julie Cypher had died from an opioid overdose. "Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction. My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today. He will be missed by those who loved him, his family and friends," Melissa — who also shares adult daughter Bailey with Julie and has teenage twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven with ex Tammy Lynn Michaels — told People magazine in a statement. The Grammy winner added, "My heart is broken. I am grateful for those who have reached out with condolences and I feel their love and sincere grief. We struggle with what else we could have done to save him, and in the end we know he is out of the pain now. I will sing again, soon. It has always healed me." Music legend David Crosby is Beckett's biological father.
On Aug. 22, veteran radio and TV host Larry King confirmed that two of his children had died within three weeks of one another over the summer. "It is with sadness and a father's broken heart that I confirm the recent loss of two of my children, Andy King and Chaia King. Both of them were good and kind souls and they will be greatly missed," Larry Sr. wrote on Facebook. "Andy passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack on July 28th, and Chaia passed on August 20th, only a short time after having been diagnosed with lung cancer. Losing them feels so out of order. No parent should have to bury a child. My family and I thank you for your outpouring of kind sentiments and well wishes." Andy (left) and Chia (center) are Larry's kids with ex-wife Alene Akins. Also pictured with Larry Sr.: son Larry King Jr. (second from left), estranged wife Shawn King and their sons, Chance and Cannon.
Early in 2020, singer-actress Jane Badler — who's best known for her work on the sci-fi series "V" and the Australian soap opera "Neighbours" — revealed that she'd lost Harry Hains, one of her two boys with businessman husband Stephen Hains. "On Jan 7 my beautiful son died. He was 27 and had the world at his feet," she wrote on Instagram of the model-actor, who'd appeared on "American Horror Story," "The OA" and "Sneaky Pete" and made music under the name ANTIBOY. "But sadly he struggled with mental illness and addiction. A brilliant spark shone bright too short a time. I will miss you Harry every day of my life."
On Oct. 26, the Kingdom of Brunei's government announced that Prince Azim– the son of Hassanal Bolkiah, 29th Sultan of Brunei — had died at 38 on Oct. 24 in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. The late film producer and philanthropist's younger brother, Prince Mateen, took to Instagram to share his sibling's cause of death, writing, "Earlier this year, my brother was diagnosed with severe systemic vasculitis, which is an autoimmune disease. … At the same time, he was also coping with bipolar disorder, which made the fight harder. Eventually, my brother succumbed to multiple organ failure caused by persistent infections due to the autoimmune disease." Mateen added that his brother would have wanted their family to be transparent, as Azim "was a big advocate of bringing awareness to different causes."
On July 26, four-time PGA Tour winner Camilo Villegas and wife Maria Ochoa's 22-month-old daughter, Mía, died in Miami nearly five months after doctors discovered cancerous tumors on her brain and spine. The pro golfer has since launched the charity Mia's Miracles, which helps other families who are dealing with childhood cancer by providing "small blessings with large impacts, bringing smiles and positivity to children and families facing challenging circumstances."
