Jason David Frank is speaking out about his tragic death.
The 49-year-old actor, who played fan favorite Tommy Oliver in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series back in the early 1990s, passed away last month. He was 49 years old.
His wife, Tammie Frank, has released a statement in response to multiple reports alleging what went down on the night of his death. In the beginning of her statement, she confirmed his cause of death:
“My name is Tammie Frank, and my husband was Jason David Frank, who tragically lost his life to suicide just last week.
While Jason was a well-known name to some, we lived a very normal life with ups and downs, just like anyone else. It has shocked and saddened me beyond belief to see that the media has turned my family’s tragedy into a tall tale.
Since Jason‘s death, I have been harassed online and can no longer stand to watch my husband’s good name slandered.”
She shared that his death was really unexpected for her and spoke of how she felt about him:
“I loved my husband, and we were trying to work through our problems. His death comes as much a shock to me as anyone else. The truth is, I had no idea that Jason was thinking of ending things. Yes, he had struggled with mental health issues and depression before, but I could never predict what would happen that night.”
She also touched on Jason’s final night:
“It was meant to be a fun weekend getaway, and instead, I lost the love of my life. Jason was a good man, but he was not without his demons. He was human, just like the rest of us.
We initially planned to separate; that part is true. However, that is only part of the story. The part that hasn’t been told is that at the time of his passing, we had called off our separation and were in the process of reuniting. Don’t get me wrong, we had ups and downs and many troubles during our 19-year marriage, but this was an especially hard year for us.”
She recounted his last hours:
“We danced and stayed out at the event until the bar closed. When we got back to the hotel, Jason and I were having a heartfelt and emotional talk in his room. To help Jason relax and sober up before turning down to sleep, I went downstairs to get us snacks from the lobby. I must’ve been gone no more than 10 minutes.
I went back upstairs and began knocking on the door to no answer. I knocked repeatedly and kept calling for his name to open the door.
I don’t know if the hotel staff or a guest called the police, but after I was taken downstairs by the police, they were able to open the door and found that Jason took his life. These were the ‘disturbances’ that has been brought up numerous times online.”
Tammie pleaded for people to “stop making assumptions and leave my family to grieve peacefully,” adding:
“All we want is to remember Jason and our happiest memories, and move on from the pain of losing a loved one. I only ask for sympathy and understanding during this difficult time.
To all the fans and supporters of Jason and our family, thank you for your kind words and wishes and God bless you all.”
