How Did Jason Davis Die? Disney's 'Recess' Actor Dead At 35 In Los Angeles
Time to say goodbye to one of the familiar voices from 'Recess.'
Getty Images Heartbreaking news: This week, Jason Davis, who voiced Mikey on Disney's animated 'Recess' series, has passed away at age 35.
Those of us who were kids in the '90s are probably very familiar with Recess, including with Mikey's character and his operatic singing voice that always blew everyone away.
But how did Jason Davis die? Here's everything we know so far.
1. His mother, Nancy Davis, announced the sad news on Sunday.
The grandson of oil tycoon Marvin Davis and Barbara Davis, Jason was also a billionaire oil heir — and it sounds like his death was pretty unexpected for his family. In a statement, Davis' mother revealed that he had died, while asking for privacy and remembering her son's "heart of gold" at the same time.
“I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles," her statement said. "Jason had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life. He was such a caring soul to everybody who ever knew him. He loved his friends and his family above all else. We ask for privacy as we take time to grieve this most devastating loss."
2. But how Jason did Davis die? His cause of death hasn't been officially revealed.
Although his mother confirmed his death, an official cause hasn't been shared. So far, there's no definitive, official evidence that points to what may have happened to Davis or what he was doing when he died but hopefully, more information from reliable sources is coming soon — though at this time, his family may just be choosing not to share everything they know.
3. Reportedly, drugs may have been involved.
A report that surfaced on Tuesday claimed that Davis' death may have been due to a heroin overdose. Reportedly, law enforcement arrived to find him unresponsive in his bathroom on Sunday morning, with drug paraphernalia nearby including burnt tin foil. Apparently, the investigation into what may have happened is still ongoing but his death is allegedly being treated as an overdose.
Photos of Davis from 2016 have also surfaced, showing him at a motel where he was allegedly participating in drug deals. “He was twitchy and seemed to get confused where he was, and appeared to be under the influence of drugs. It was very sad to see. Nobody would believe he was at one time an heir to an oil fortune,” the photographer who took the photos said.
4. Davis has been open about his struggle with drug abuse in the past.
Davis has appeared on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in both 2010 and 2011, and after his second stint on the show, Davis was arrested for possession of drugs in Newport Beach in 2011. He went on to found the charity Cure Addiction Now, which is set up to fund research to help people break the cycle of addiction and permanently recover from it.
5. Davis' management company has also released a statement.
Scottie Gelt, the president of Wolfie Cohen Entertainment, which managed Davis' career, also confirmed and mourned his death in a statement of his own.
"We're very saddened by his loss and we had some great projects in the works and really sad to see someone pass away at such a young age and taken out of his prime," Gelt said. "We're just praying for him and hope he's in a happier place."
6. He was still a working actor at the time of his death.
Although Davis was probably best known for his voice work on Recess, that wasn't the only project he had under his belt. He also guest starred on Roseanne and 7th Heaven and at the time of his death, he was working on a TV show called The Two Jasons. which seemed to be his first project since The Bathroom Diaries in 2014.
Hopefully, the ongoing investigation will be able to shed more light on Davis' death, but his voice will be one that Recess fans will certainly never forget — especially since they're already paying tribute to him like in the fan art above.
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.