Sitcom Creator Mourns Sawyer Sweeten

It may have been 10 years since the final episode of the hit CBS sitcom aired, but Everybody Loves Raymond fans are still reeling from the news that Sawyer Sweeten has died at age 19 from an apparent suicide. Reportedly, the child star was visiting family in Texas when he allegedly shot himself on the porch, mere weeks away from his 20th birthday. "This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred. We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life," said his sister, Madelyn Sweeten. "At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love." The Sweeten family and the fans of the program aren't the only ones shocked and devastated by the news. Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal spoke about Sweeten's death, and his reaction will make you cry.

Sweeten acted alongside his twin brother Sullivan on Everybody Loves Raymond, a role they held from when they were 1 years old to when they were 10 years old. In the nine years since, Sweeten has stayed out of the limelight; according to IMDB, he has only since appeared in the 8th Annual TV Land Awards as himself in 2010. Despite his young age while the show was airing, Rosenthal recognized and honored Sweeten for his contribution to making the show was it was:

We knew and loved Sawyer as a little boy. He and his real life siblings Sullivan and Madylin were such a charming, integral part of our TV family. They never failed to make us laugh, or remind of us how we feel about our own children. We are terribly sad to hear this news and our hearts go out to Sawyer’s family.

Since the news of his death broke on Thursday night, fans have flooded the Internet with support, for the cast, for the show, and for the family going through this difficult time. Many are even calling for more awareness and resources devoted to teen depression and suicide. While Sweeten's death has been confirmed by his manager and by his sister, it has not yet been confirmed that suicide was the cause; however, that doesn't mean those fans are wrong to want to raise awareness for such a pervasive issue. If it's true, Sweeten will be the second celebrity that the world has lost due to suicide in recent years, following Robin Williams' death by suicide in August 2014.

Before and after we have any kind of confirmation as to Sweeten's cause of death, our time is best spent sending love and condolences his family's way. Losing a child, especially one so young, is a devastating blow whether you're famous or not.

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