Vijay Antony to Zack Snyder: Celebs whose children died by suicide

The world of celebrities often appears glamorous, but behind the fame and fortune, they too face personal tragedies. Vijay Antony is in the news after his teenage daughter's death was ruled as an apparent suicide, according to news reports. He is not the only public figure who has had to grapple with the profound grief and despair that comes with the devastating loss of a child. Whether it is Zack Snyder or Lisa Marie Presley, here are some celebrity parents who helped create mental health awareness by speaking up about their children's death by suicide.

On Tuesday, the teenage daughter of renowned actor and music director Vijay Antony tragically died by suspected suicide at her residence. The 16-year-old was discovered hanging in her Teynampet home during the early hours of the morning and was subsequently pronounced dead upon arrival at a city hospital. She was a Class 12 student at a local private school. Authorities have registered a case of 'unnatural death', and an ongoing investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.

In March 2017, tragedy struck director Zack Snyder's family when his 20-year-old daughter, Autumn, took her own life. Autumn was the third of Snyder's eight children, adopted from China during his first marriage to Denise Weber. Her untimely passing occurred while Snyder was deeply involved in the production of the film 'Justice League'. In response to the devastating loss, he stepped away from post-production responsibilities, and filmmaker Joss Whedon was enlisted to oversee reshoots and complete the project.

Benjamin Keough, the only son of Lisa Marie Presley and only grandson of rock legend Elvis Presley, tragically passed away from a suspected suicide at the age of 27. The heartbreaking news left Lisa Marie Presley 'utterly devastated'. She expressed her profound grief and love for her son, calling him the "love of her life." Months before her own sudden demise, Lisa Marie shared her journey of navigating grief in an essay, reflecting on how her son's death had 'destroyed' her and her daughters' lives, hoping it would offer solace to others in similar pain. "I'm saying this, in the hopes that it helps someone who is suffering as I and my children suffer. In the hopes that maybe today or as soon as possible, you can reach out to someone who is grieving someone they loved and lost," she wrote in the essay published by People.

Singer Sinead O'Connor also lost her son by suicide. The star took to her social media handle to make the announcement in a post that read, "
"My beautiful son, Nevi’im Nesta Ali Shane O’Connor, the very light of my life, decided to end his earthly struggle today, and is now with God. May he rest in peace, and may no one follow his example. My baby. I love you so much. Please be at peace."
The devastating news about his death followed a missing persons report filed just two days earlier when he left an Irish hospital, where he was under suicide watch.

On January 19, 2022, Regina King's son, Ian Alexander Jr., tragically died by suicide at the age of 26, as confirmed by People. In a statement, King expressed the family's profound grief over the loss, describing Ian as a 'bright and caring soul deeply invested in others' happiness'. The young star-kid frequently accompanied his actress mother on the red carpet of several public events. The mother-son duo also shared matching tattoos bearing the words "unconditional love" in Aramaic.

On Christmas Day in 1991, Nelson's son, Billy, was found dead. He died of an apparent suicide by hanging himself in his log cabin. At the time, the music legend and his son were working on a gospel album which stayed incomplete for several years following his untimely death. Willie later completed the project and released it with the title 'Peace in the Valley'. Opening up about his son's demise, he said to People, "I've never experienced anything so devastating in my life."