{"id":2343515,"date":"2026-03-24T13:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T13:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2343515"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:00:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T13:00:36","slug":"nicholas-brendon-death-a-tragedy-says-sarah-michelle-gellar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/nicholas-brendon-death-a-tragedy-says-sarah-michelle-gellar\/","title":{"rendered":"Nicholas Brendon Death a Tragedy, Says Sarah Michelle Gellar"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sarah Michelle Gellar<\/strong><\/a> is once again remembering her longtime Buffy the Vampire Slayer<\/em><\/a> costar Nicholas Brendon<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0following his death at age 54.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tragedy. It\u2019s a tragedy when you lose anyone at any point. It\u2019s a bigger tragedy when you lose someone way sooner than needs to be,\u201d Gellar, 48, said<\/a> during a Rome press conference for her new movie, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come<\/em>, on Monday, March 23.<\/p>\n

The Buffy<\/em> icon continued, \u201cThis business is very tough. We\u2019ve had, I think \u2026 it feels like we\u2019ve had more tragedy than other shows, but that\u2019s probably not the case. It just feels that way because it\u2019s personal and it\u2019s in our faces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gellar went on to acknowledge Brendon\u2019s contributions to the success of Buffy<\/em>, which ran for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003. Brendon played Buffy\u2019s sidekick Xander Harris for all seven seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was an integral part of Buffy<\/em> and that never goes away,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I think as actors, we talk a lot or think a lot about legacy, and he brought so much joy to so many people on that show, and that lives on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brendon\u2019s family announced his death on Friday, March 20, in a statement to Us Weekly<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,\u201d the statement said, adding that Brendon died in his sleep of \u201cnatural causes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years, Nicky has found his passion in painting and art,\u201d the statement continued. \u201cNicky 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actor\u2019s family acknowledged he had \u201cstruggles in the past,\u201d which were \u201cno secret,\u201c but Brendon was \u201con medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis.\u201d Brendon was \u201coptimistic about the future\u201d before his death, the family said.<\/p>\n

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