Michael K Williams: '12 Years a Slave' Actor Found Dead in His Apartment
- Michael K Williams was found unresponsive in his Brooklyn apartment after going silent for a few days
- The thespian is believed to have suffered a drug overdose as drug tools were found on his kitchen table
- The five-time Emmy nominee was most famous for his role as Omar Little in the drama series The Wire
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Renowned actor Michael K Williams has sadly passed away after being found unresponsive in his Brooklyn, New York apartment.
Source: UGC
The thespian famous for his breakout role as Omar Little in the drama series The Wire was discovered by a relative, who had gone to check on him after not hearing from Michael in a couple of days.
According to TMZ, Michael died from a suspected drug overdose as he was found in the living room of his penthouse with drug apparatus found nearby on the kitchen table. New York Post reports that the actor was discovered face-down and unconscious.
A relative of the five-time Emmy-nominee spoke to him on Friday and he was supposed to show up to an event on Saturday, which he never did. On Monday, a relative visited his NYC pad and a call was made to the cops at around 2pm, informing them of someone found unresponsive in the home.
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The late actor was confirmed to have fatally overdosed but it is yet unclear for how long he was dead before being found.
Michael K Williams' struggle with drugs
Michael struggled with drug addiction in the past and spoke openly about his plight. In his role on The Wire, the actor was famous for stealing from drug dealers, and he once revealed bringing his own experiences into his role to give it more nuance.
The star's family spokesman announced his death while urging the public to give them privacy as the family grieves his loss.
The thespian's trademark was his famous facial scar, which he got during a bar fight on his 25 birthday - that he once said nearly took his life. Michael once noted the scar helped him to launch his acting career, getting roles in music videos and playing a thug in minor movie roles.
The actor was 54 years old and is survived by his son Elijah Williams.
R&B musician Keyshia Cole's mum sadly passes away
In more news of celebs and overdoses, in July, Briefly News reported that the family of R&B musician Keyshia Cole mourned their mother, Frankie Lons' death on her birthday, aged 61. Frankie was known to have had a decade-long struggle with drug addiction and it is believed it led to her death.
According to TMZ, who spoke to Cole's brother Sam, Frankie is believed to have overdosed on drugs at her Oakland home on Sunday, July 18.
Frankie was reportedly on a journey to sobriety when she relapsed and took drugs during her birthday celebrations.
Source: Briefly News
Denika Herbst (Editor) Denika Herbst is a Human Interest writer at Briefly News. She is also an Industrial Sociologist with a master's degree in Industrial Organisational and Labour Studies from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, which she completed in 2020. She is now a PhD candidate at UKZN. Denika has over five years of experience writing for Briefly News (joined in 2018), and a short time writing for The South African. You can reach her via: denika.herbst@briefly.co.za.
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
