Jason David Frank sadly passed away aged 49 in November and his wife has confirmed that the TV star died by suicide.
The Power Rangers star was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Green Ranger Tommy Oliver in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
He made his debut on the popular TV show in 1993, and would soon move away from his villainous character to morph into the White Ranger, due to how much fans adored him.
Tammie Frank, the actor's wife, believes that various media outlets reported his cause of death prematurely, and have made unfounded claims about the couple's relationship status.
In an exclusive interview with People, she set the record straight on how her husband died, telling the publication: "My name is Tammie Frank, and my husband was Jason David Frank, who tragically lost his life to suicide just last week.
"While Jason was a well-known name to some, we lived a very normal life with ups and downs, just like anyone else. It has shocked and saddened me beyond belief to see that the media has turned my family's tragedy into a tall tale.
"Since Jason's death, I have been harassed online and can no longer stand to watch my husband's good name slandered."
Mrs Frank explained how much she loved her husband, and how they were working together through their problems, and his death came as a shock to her.
"The truth is, I had no idea that Jason was thinking of ending things," she continued. "Yes, he had struggled with mental health issues and depression before, but I could never predict what would happen that night.
"It was meant to be a fun weekend getaway, and instead, I lost the love of my life. Jason was a good man, but he was not without his demons. He was human, just like the rest of us."
Mrs Frank also tragically lost her daughter Shayla last year, and explained that the situation "wrecked [their] family emotionally."
She confirmed the pair were having marital issues, however, were in the process of reuniting after a particularly hard year. A family friend "helped us realize that we still loved each other and we should not give up just yet," Mrs Frank added.
On the night of November 19, the couple was on a two-night getaway to a country dancing event. They had separate hotel rooms "because that's just how we do things — simply put, my husband snored," she explained.
After a fun night of staying at the bar until closing time, they were having a heartfelt conversation in Mr Frank's room before she went to get some snacks to help him sober up.
"I must've been gone no more than 10 minutes," she recalled. "I went back upstairs and began knocking on the door to no answer. I knocked repeatedly and kept calling for his name to open the door.
"I don't know if the hotel staff or a guest called the police, but after I was taken downstairs by the police, they were able to open the door and found that Jason took his life."
Mrs Frank wishes for assumptions to stop being made about their relationship, and wants time for her family to grieve in peace.
She concluded: "To all the fans and supporters of Jason and our family, thank you for your kind words and wishes and God bless you all."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
