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Mother of 'Flash' actor Logan Williams said the 16-year-old died from a fentanyl overdose a week before his birthday

May 16, 2020, 22:55 IST
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Liane Hentscher/The CW
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When Logan Williams, actor on the CW's "Flash," on April 2, fans were shocked at the young star's sudden passing.

The 16-year-old died a week before what would have been his 17th birthday.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, Logan's mother Marlyse Williams said her son's preliminary toxicology results show he died of a fentanyl overdose. Williams said her son had been grappling with opioid addiction for three years.

The young actor had been introduced to performing at a young age and started acting at nine years old. By the age of 10, he was juggling auditioning for countless roles, landed a spot on ABC show "The Whispers," and starred on CW hit "Supernatural."

"He really, really enjoyed the acting," Williams told the New York Post. "I know there's a stigma of child stars, but he was not a star. He was up and coming."

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Logan's mother said she 'did everything humanly possible' to help her son seek treatment for his addiction

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

The actor took a break from auditioning at 13 when the pressure started to mount. It was around the same period of time that Williams found out her son was using marijuana, before moving on to other drugs like fentanyl.

She told the New York Post as his addiction progressed, she tried to help her son seek all the treatment he needed and even remortgaged their home to send him to a treatment facility in the US and then to another one in British Columbia.

After leaving the treatment center, he was living in a group home treatment center.

"I did everything humanly possible — everything a mother could do," she said. "I did everything but handcuff him to me to try to keep him safe."

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They kept his addiction greatly "under wraps," including from people in show business because Logan wanted to perform again and was even going on countless auditions in the fall.

According to the New York Post, the last time Williams saw Logan was on March 30, when the two cooked his favorite meal together — truffled garlic mashed potatoes, filet mignon, and broccoli.

"He said to me, 'Mom, I'm gonna get clean. I'm going to get better. And I want my new life to start.' I just know the last thing we said to each other was, 'I love you,'" Williams said.

Williams said her son's death has inspired her to raise awareness about the opioid crisis — which has killed thousands

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Three days later on April 3, Williams was mourning the death of her son at a funeral home.

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"I just hope he's at peace," she said. "He was in so much pain and he was so ashamed."

Logan is not alone. The opioid crisis is an ongoing concern in the US, as millions of Americans have been impacted by addiction. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 67,367 people died from drug overdoses in the US in 2o18 alone.

On May 15, Williams was reminded of her son when singer Melissa Ethridge opened up about losing her 21-year-old son Beckett Cypher to an opioid overdose.

Williams told the New York Post that her son's death has inspired her to take action and raise awareness about the epedimic.

"His death is not going to be in vain," she told the New York Post. "He's going to help a lot of people down the road."

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