Jessica Jones star Eka Darville’s young son has tragically died aged 10 following a brief battle with brain cancer.

Eka, famous for his role in the Marvel hit series Jessica Jones alongside David Tennant, is mourning the loss of his young son, Mana.

The 10-year-old boy fought bravely against a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, known as glioneuronal brain cancer, but tragically succumbed to the disease, per News.com.au.

The devastating news was confirmed by Eka's mother, Malaika, in a video shared on the GoFundMe page that had been set up in her grandson's name. She expressed the family's deep sorrow and gratitude for the support they had received.

"I still wanted to come together in this prayer because he's still always gonna be with us, and he's still with us," Malaika said.

She continued: "You can imagine the amount of sadness and grief of Eka, Lila, and Lila's parents, his grandparents, myself, his little brothers. But at the same time, there's a lot of joy. There's a lot of peace. There's a lot of stillness in the house after such a long struggle for 463 days since the whole ordeal began. And now he's free. Now he's dancing in the light."

"We all see it, we feel it, and I know that many of you, like myself, loved Mana eternally," she added.

The tragic journey began when Mana collapsed on a beach in July 2022. Subsequently, he experienced devastating seizures, leading to his hospitalization in January of this year, where doctors diagnosed him with brain cancer.

Despite undergoing an operation to remove as much of the tumor as possible, Mana's family embarked on a mission to find a cure for the young boy outside of Australia.

They identified potential lifesaving treatments in the United States and set a fundraising goal of $600,000 to cover the expenses. Remarkably, the family managed to raise the funds in just a few months.

Last week, the family shared their hope and faith on Instagram, writing: "Mana is still breathing, so we have hope. We know miracles are possible because we see it every day with our little man. Thank you to everyone for sharing your daily #manamoment with us."

Sadly Mana passed away, and netizens offered their condolences, including Australian actress Teresa Palmer who penned: "Sending immense love your way, friends."

Our thoughts are with Mana's loved ones during this difficult time.

Featured image credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty

Coco Lee, the actress who voiced Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney's movie of the same name, has died aged 48.

Coco was born in Hong Kong and later moved to the US to be schooled in San Francisco.

After being crowned Miss Teen Chinatown in 1991, Coco was one of the first Chinese singers to make waves in the US as her song 'Do You Want My Love' made it into the number four spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Breakout chart in 1999.

Sadly, Coco has passed away aged 48 after she attempted to take her own life at her home on Sunday. She was found by her sisters, Carol and Nancy, and was rushed to the hospital.

It was there that she slipped into a coma and ultimately died on Wednesday, as reported by TMZ.

The outlet reported that Coco battled with depression for many years, and in the last few months her condition worsened and she made the decision to take her own life.

She documented her battles on her Instagram profile, and her last post in December is now particularly heartbreaking.

Posting an image of a tattoo on her wrist that reads "love", Coco wrote: "Life seemed unbearable at times but I adapted the attitude of a 'female warrior' to face them head on fearlessly but always had the biggest smile and big fat laughter!"

She continued: "My goal in 2023 is to share my life story n how i faced major life changing hurdles n still manage to keep a positive attitude. I am happy to say I am finally living the real me. It’s the best feeling n I’m grateful everyday to be alive n I get to share my thoughts with u [sic]."

Coco concluded the heartfelt post by writing: "Just like The Great Wall of China I will never fall. If I can overcome anything, so can u! You are not alone, no matter how hard life gets, I’m with u [sic]."

People have flooded the comments of this post with messages of love since the news of her passing was announced.

One person wrote: "I will always remember you as a passionate, charismatic, and loving individual. Thank you for always being nice to me, and giving me lots of encouragement. Im thankful we got to work together on a song, it will always have a special place in my heart. Rest peacefully Coco!"

A second added: "Rest well Coco, you’re my childhood memory. I grew up with your songs."

Our thoughts are with Coco's family, friends, and fans at this time.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org 

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Warning: This article may contain some distressing information.

Kailia Posey died by suicide at the age of 16, her family has confirmed to TMZ.

The teenager was best known for starring on Toddlers & Tiaras, a TLC reality series that aired between 2009 and 2013 and centered around young girls - and their guardians - in the lead-up to competing in child beauty pageants.

Posey's mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman, had announced her daughter's tragic passing in a Facebook post on Monday, May 2. At the time, a cause of death was not given.

In a statement released the following day, Posey's family told TMZ that she died by suicide.

The statement read: "Although she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous moment, she made the rash decision to end her earthly life."

Listing her incredible accomplishments, the family went on to say: "She won countless crowns & trophies after competing on the pageant circuit her entire life ... Her highly acclaimed talent as a contortionist had already led to professional touring job offers, and she had recently been selected to be a cheerleader at her high school next fall."

In the original Facebook post, Gatterman wrote: "I don’t have words or any thoughts. A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever."

Posey, who turned 16 last week, had participated in beauty pageants from the age of three. She was perhaps best known for featuring in a viral GIF from Toddlers & Tiaras, in which she is seen grinning at the camera.

She appeared in 26 episodes of the reality show in 2011, when she was five years old.

The teen's family has since set up a fund with the Whatcom Community Foundation aiming to "help get much needed resources to students in crisis."

Per Sky News, Posey continued competing in pageants following her stint on Toddlers & Tiaras, having taken part most recently in Miss Washington Teen USA in February.

Our thoughts are with Posey's loved ones at this time.

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.

Featured image credit: 360b / Alamy

Sophie Nyweide - the former child actress best known for starring as Michelle Williams’ daughter in the 2009 film Mammoth - has tragically died at the age of 24.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed by her family in an online obituary, which stated that she passed away on April 14, per the Daily Mail.

“Sophie was a kind and trusting girl,” her loved ones wrote. “Often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others. She wrote and drew voraciously, and much of this art depicts the depth she had, and it also represents the pain she suffered.”

Nyweide had a remarkable career before even hitting double digits — appearing in seven films by her 10th birthday. But behind the promising talent was a young woman fighting private battles that would ultimately claim her life.

“Many of her writings and artwork are roadmaps of her struggles and traumas,” her obituary explained. “Even with those roadmaps, diagnoses and her own revelations, those closest to her, plus therapists, law enforcement officers and others who tried to help her, are heartbroken their efforts couldn’t save her from her fate.”

They revealed that Sophie had “self-medicated to deal with all the trauma and shame she held inside,” and that “resulted in her death.”

Despite their continued support, her family said she “repeatedly said she would ‘handle it’ on her own and was compelled to reject the treatment that might possibly have saved her life.”

Her family urged those mourning her passing to consider donating to RAINN — the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network — in Sophie’s name, calling on the world to “do better", the Mirror adds.

“Sophie. A life ended too soon. May it not be in vain. May we all learn from her brief life on earth and do better. Yes, we must all protect our children and do better.”

From Projection Booth to the Big Screen

Sophie’s passion for acting emerged early — and it wasn’t just a phase.

She was born on July 8, 2000, and raised in a movie theater, where her mother Shelly Gibson - an actress herself - worked, per E! News.

“She grew up in this movie theatre and slept in the movie theatre and had a little bed in the projection booth and watched many movies,” Gibson said in a 2010 interview with The Times Argus.

Her daughter added: “I kept wondering what would it be like if I could see myself on that screen. What would it feel like to be doing this? Would it be hard, would it be easy? I wanted to try it.”

Sophie’s acting debut came in 2006 when she landed the lead in Bella, a film directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde and starring Eduardo Verastegui and Tammy Blanchard.

The film won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

From there, her résumé quickly filled up. She appeared in Law & Order, And Then Came Love, Margot at the Wedding, New York City Serenade, and An Invisible Sign alongside Jessica Alba.

In the 2010 movie, she played the daughter of a terminally ill woman — a performance that drew critical acclaim. “The film’s best performance comes from a 10-year-old,” wrote New York Times critic Jeannette Catsoulis in 2011. “Playing a near-motherless tyke, little Sophie Nyweide (who looks like a diminutive Emily Watson and already has five films under her belt) should have a glowing future.”

Her final on-screen appearance came in 2015, on ABC’s hidden camera show What Would You Do?

‘She Danced as She Moved’

Beyond acting, Sophie’s family described her as “creative, athletic and wise beyond her years.” She was a competitive snowboarder from the age of five, and her obituary read: “Sophie accomplished so much in the time she danced upon earth — literally — she danced as she moved!”

They said she was an “eager adventurer” who embraced different cultures and languages, made friends effortlessly, and always saw “the good in everyone.” “Her ‘family’ wasn’t just her immediate family,” they noted. “It also included the families of those closest to her.”

Still, the film set was where she found the most peace. “She seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else,” her loved ones shared. “It was a safe place for her and she relish from the casts and crews who nourished her talent and her well being.”

Her mother, Shelly Gibson — known for her roles in Dust to Malibu, St. Elsewhere, and All My Children — paid tribute over the weekend, sharing a moving message with a photo of her daughter.

“RIP, my Sophie. She graced us for far too short a time. My daughter was a light for all who met her. For those us of who were truly close with Sophie, we are gutted and will need a long time to get over her passing. I know I never will. God I love my daughter. I want her back. Fly high sweetheart — you always could.”

Our thoughts go out to Nyweide's family, loved ones, and fans at this time.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.

Featured image credit: Scott Wintrow/Getty Images for NYILFF