Cody Longo, a rising Hollywood actor who made a name for himself playing Eddie Duran in the Nick at Nite original series “Hollywood Heights,” died earlier this year in what was at the time presumed by family to be the result of his continued alcohol use. Four months later, a medical examiner has officially ruled the former “Days of our Lives” actor died of hard drinking, reports TMZ.
According to the outlet which obtained Longo’s autopsy report, Longo’s cause of death was “chronic ethanol abuse,” and his manner of death was natural. Further, TMZ says, the late actor’s “body was decomposing when he was found dead … and the death scene was littered with alcohol bottles.”
In February, the 34-year-old was found dead in bed by police at his residence in Austin, Texas after his wife, Stephanie, called in a welfare check. When they couldn’t get a response, police kicked down the door and later found the actor in his bedroom.
Photo by Paul Skipper/JPI Studios
In 2011, Longo joined the cast of “Days of our Lives” as Nicholas Alamain, the son of Carly Manning (Crystal Chappell) and Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino). He appeared on the series for just about a month before his character was written out following a writing regime change.
Longo later appeared as a guest star in numerous television shows, including “Nashville,” “The Catch,” and “Secrets and Lies,” among others. Besides “Days of our Lives,” his most memorable roles were as Eddie Duran on “Hollywood Heights” across 78 episodes in 2012 and his run as Nicky Russo in the ABC Family series “Make It or Break It.”
“He was an amazing father and the best husband. Our whole world is shattered,” said Longo’s wife of her late husband in a statement provided to TMZ at the time of his death. She noted he had been working on his addiction to “fight for his kids.”
In addition to his wife, Longo is survived by his three children – a daughter and two young sons.