The sudden death of James Ransone at 46 left thousands of his fans devastated after it emerged that “The Wire” actor committed suicide.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said that Ransone died by suicide on Friday.
While his tragic death came as a shock to his global fans, people aware of his past highlighted the injustice meted out to the actor in his younger years.
Ransone, who played Ziggy Sobotka in “The Wire”, publicly shared that he was sexually abused when he was a teenager by his math tutor, Timothy Rualo.
The shame and embarrassment from this led him to substance abuse in his 20s, including heroin and alcohol addiction, from which he reportedly became sober in 2007.
He was left disappointed by the US authorities’ decision to allow his tormentor to continue working around children without facing charges despite his public disclosure about the abuse he had suffered at Rualo’s hands.
The investigating authorities thought there was insufficient evidence for a conviction after 29 years.
His fans think this unresolved injustice and the ongoing effects of the trauma played a central role in his mental health struggles.
Ransone also appeared in the films “It: Chapter Two,” “The Black Phone” and “Black Phone 2,” and TV shows “Bosch” and “Poker Face.”
