Text from article:
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Nicholas Brendon, the actor known for his role on the TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has died. He was 54.
Brendon's death was announced Friday by his family in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. The statement said the actor died in his sleep of natural causes.
"Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years," a statement posted on Brendon's Instagram page said. "In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans.
"He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was."
In 2023, Brendon revealed he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and had suffered a heart attack.
Brendon is best known for playing Xander Harris in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" during the show's seven seasons.
273
geekfreak42Mar 21, 2026
+14
He was also in coherence, one of the best scifi movies ever made.
14
ProfessionalPack7205Mar 21, 2026
+270
Natural causes at 54 is just afwul
270
ragingduckMar 21, 2026
+165
He was an addict and attempted suicide several times unfortunately. “Natural” could include all the complications and stress on his body from such a traumatic lifestyle. Heart, lungs, brain, liver… something could have just given up and it’s “natural” but still largely had to do with his addiction.
165
ExceptionEXMar 21, 2026
+103
It's also a statement from his family which could literally just be a fabrication. I have lots of friends who died of natural causes, accident in the home, or acute illness. Which were all in reality overdoses.
103
KaiisimMar 21, 2026
+10
Yeah, and it's fine to do that. It's not our business. RIP
10
av0wMar 21, 2026
+6
Yes and no. We need to talk about these things so that it happens to less people. We can't just hide it under the rug. At the same time families should have privacy.
6
brightblueinkyMar 21, 2026
+46
The article also says that he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect a few years ago, which means even he would have problems with his heart even without drugs or suicide attempt.
46
XtremeGnomeCakeoverMar 21, 2026
+5
He had other health problems aside from the addiction.
5
highpriestess420Mar 21, 2026
-3
Also apparently caused a few health problems for other people as well unfortunately
-3
XtremeGnomeCakeoverMar 21, 2026
+6
I don't know what that has to do with the cause of his death.
6
highpriestess420Mar 21, 2026
-7
Is every comment supposed to be an endorsement of the previous response?
-7
XtremeGnomeCakeoverMar 21, 2026
+7
It helps when the conversation is about a single topic instead of multiple tangents.
7
highpriestess420Mar 21, 2026
-1
Lol it's not a tangent. If you want that I'd just ask why you care so much about the cause of death for someone who caused harm to others.
-1
agumonkeyMar 21, 2026
+5
yeah your body can absorb a lot of subtle damage until it can't
5
GILF_Hound69Mar 21, 2026
+3
Beat his partners too btw
3
Jauh0Mar 21, 2026
+1
Yup there's a mountain of random-drug-cocktails difference between "natural" and "Hollywood natural", watered with excess alcohol, or in the rare case it's not they double down on the drugs.
1
hockableMar 21, 2026
+179
RIP Xander Harris. RIP Dawn Summers. :(
179
Primary-Bookkeeper10Mar 21, 2026
+11
Literally watching Buffy as I read this. RIP
11
ArchAngel621Mar 21, 2026
+7
Damn, I forgot about Michelle.
7
Dangerous-Change2136Mar 21, 2026
+75
Damn what a bad week for the Buffy cast
75
daemenusMar 21, 2026
+10
Did something else happen?
10
birdclubMar 21, 2026
+65
Buffy reboot got canned. Also, 1 yr anniversary of dawn's actress dying.
65
thegoatmenaceMar 21, 2026
+14
Reboot was cancelled
14
_chuckiefinsterMar 21, 2026
+181
Every chance I get I tell people to watch Coherence. Great movie and he’s great in it
181
flavorjunctionMar 21, 2026
+37
Such a slept on film. Saw it randomly via I think DVD Netflix from a Redbox and it was a great surprise.
37
Persimmon-MissionMar 21, 2026
+11
It is awesome. I love “mindfuck” movies where you kind of have to figure out what you just watched. Coherence qualifies!
Primer is another very low budget one
11
flavorjunctionMar 21, 2026
+2
Omg. Your reply showed up and it didn’t show the last line. All I could think of was replying to you about Primer. It was one of my favorite films when I first found it at Hollywood Video to rent. So damn good.
2
yourethegoodthingsMar 21, 2026
+2
The Fall (2006) by Tarsem is another good one, since the visuals are so rooted in the unreliable narrators. Takes a while to unpack.
2
flavorjunctionMar 21, 2026
+1
Damn. My brother and sister pointed me to that one when I was just graduating high school. So crazy. Hope you have a good weekend internet stranger.
1
azulurMar 21, 2026
+20
Coherence is honestly one of my favourite films. So wildly unassuming and yet you're left gobsmacked at the end.
20
PlainchantMar 21, 2026
+11
That is a perfect low-budget film that doesn't need flash to be memorable. And Laura Veirs' beautiful song "Galaxies" plays over the credits!
11
ArrVeePeeMar 21, 2026
+2
Same. With the added caveats of:
Don't look up reviews. Don't watch a trailer. Don't read a synopsis. Don't even read the rest of these comments.
Just trust me/us, and go watch it, blind.
2
RumpledStillsuitMar 21, 2026
+1
Coherence is a great film. Which part did he play?
1
Daren_IMar 21, 2026
+67
I wonder how his twin brother is doing healthwise.
67
EducationalTangelo6Mar 21, 2026
+49
Probably better, since Kelly doesn't seem to have had the alcohol and drug problems Nick had. Comparing recent pictures of the two is striking (and sad).
49
k4ndlej4ckMar 21, 2026
+60
Never watched buffy but i did see him in criminal minds.
Rip.
60
Hulkbuster_v2Mar 21, 2026
+8
I just got to the point in the series where he and Garcia are dating.
F***
8
eugene20Mar 21, 2026
+37
Jeez , I looked him up just three days ago because I realised I never knew what he had done since Buffy :-/
37
PlainchantMar 21, 2026
+30
I looked him up because of Hulu passing on the new Buffy pilot. :(
30
ZipoBibrok5e8Mar 21, 2026
+1
Now look up You Know Who.
1
chevybowMar 21, 2026
+17
Wow. Watching Buffy for the first time and I’m on the series finale. Googled him to see what else he’s been in and saw the news.
RIP.
17
[deleted]Mar 21, 2026
+52
[deleted]
52
KyaoXaingMar 21, 2026
+9
I hope he has found peace.
9
Captain_WobblesMar 21, 2026
+43
He had his battles and issues but still damn.. still sucks seeing someone insanely important to your childhood pass away. As a kid, who was probably way too young to be watching Buffy as it aired, his character of Xander was originally the everyman inserted into insanity. Kinda felt like a tv brother in a way. RIP Nicholas.
Man, it has been a bad week to be a Buffy fan..
43
_tragicmikeMar 21, 2026
+21
Xander could be a myopic character in the early seasons, but he had a big heart and often stood by his friends in the face of danger. I'll always appreciate Brendan's time on *Buffy*. I also liked him on *Kitchen Confidential*.
I know he led a troubled life post-*Buffy*, but it sounds like he was doing better in recent years. Hope he is at peace now.
21
DouglasqqqMar 21, 2026
+26
He's strangling angels now.
26
dusktodawn33Mar 21, 2026
+3
Wow this sucks! I liked him on the show :(
3
littlelupieMar 21, 2026
+12
Man, guy clearly had a lot of demons and I'll absolutely not excuse the pain he inflicted on others, but I do hope he's at peace now - whatever peace means.
12
FiyeroTigelaar895Mar 21, 2026
+14
Shame he was a multi time assaulter of women 😔
14
highpriestess420Mar 21, 2026
+14
Dunno why you're being downvoted, you're not wrong. Why are we going to venerate people who did horrible things just because they pass and were part of media people enjoyed?
14
Monarc73Mar 21, 2026
Is THIS why the re-boot got cancelled?
0
PowerfulMatter5591Mar 21, 2026
-4
Rest in peace. He seemed like a good guy and was a good actor.
-4
highpriestess420Mar 21, 2026
+18
Multiple assault and sexual assault allegations... A few days ago he was literally accused of putting an air tag on a contractor doing work on his home as well as throwing stuff at them.
18
PowerfulMatter5591Mar 21, 2026
+4
oh yikes. I didn't know, thanks for the heads up. F*** this guy then. Rust in piss.
4
highpriestess420Mar 21, 2026
+7
I went thru the same cycle of feels, it sucks. Why can't people just live decently and not be assholes so we can be justifiably sad when they die.
7
PowerfulMatter5591Mar 21, 2026
+3
Exactly!! I was kind of kicking myself because usually I don't like Hollywood celebrities but I thought I'd try to be nice for once and... nope, he was just as bad, I simply knew less about him.
So far Dolly Parton and Keanu Reeves seem like living celebrities that are genuinely good decent people. If they get proven to be scumbags, what little pecan sized bit of faith in humanity I have left might fly out the windows for good, lol.
3
highpriestess420Mar 21, 2026
+3
Sadly humans are just that and incredibly flawed.
3
genkaiX1Mar 21, 2026
-16
Natural causes at 54
In order to die of cardiac arrest at that age it would have to be congenital issue with structure or born with arrhythmia or predisposition for conversion to fatal rhythm
-16
purpleplatapiMar 21, 2026
+38
The article literally says he has a congenital heart defect.
38
wall_upMar 21, 2026
+2
It says in the article he had a congenital heart condition that was discovered when he had a heart attack in 2023.
2
[deleted]Mar 21, 2026
-185
[removed]
-185
_goblinette_Mar 21, 2026
+88
The vaccine….made him….be born with a heart defect in 1971?!!!
88
euclide2975Mar 21, 2026
+42
They made the vaccines with tachyons. The vaccine is responsible for the fall of Rome and even the meteor that killed the dinosaurs.
edit : /s it it's not obvious
42
PatchyWhiskersMar 21, 2026
+18
Heart defect and drink problems, but suuuuuure it's the vaccine, LOL.
18
Reasonable-Turn-5940Mar 21, 2026
+58
I found him. The dumbest m*********** on Earth. He's right here guys.
58
iamwellyMar 21, 2026
+20
lmao
Heart conditions didn’t exist before COVID eh
20
Infamous-Sky-1874Mar 21, 2026
+11
Death didn't exist until the COVID vaccine.
11
littlelupieMar 21, 2026
+38
Man it must be hard for you to live believing nonsense.
71 Comments