November 27, 2003

Some thanks.

Over the last week I've gotten hundreds of e-mails and Instant Messages from other fans of Jonathan expressing their thanks and telling their stories. I'm a little shocked that the outpouring has been so big... there are so many people, never having met Jon, who are nonetheless feeling his loss and praying for his parents, Mary and Greg. I'm confident that Jon will not be forgotten.

By the way, Jen has thoughtfully given out the address to Jon's fan club so that anyone who wishes to send mail to Jon's parents can do so:

JONATHAN BRANDIS FAN CLUB
11684 VENTURA BLVD. BOX 966
STUDIO CITY, CA 91604

Since it's also Thanksgiving, I want to give thanks to everyone who cared about Jon, everyone who cares about others, and everyone who spends their time and resources trying to give hope to those who consider ending their lives. You are a wonderful gift.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 24, 2003

And some new things...

Yesterday I bought a new domain, jonathanbrandis.org. I plan on making it into an archive site, where fans can contribute photos, video clips, news and magazine articles, internet links, etc. The launch date will likely be in a few weeks. Anyone who wants to contribute can e-mail me (make sure to put "sonafide mail" in the subject box)... you will get credit.

11/26: There was a new story today on Yahoo, I guess the media really is all over this one. I read about Jon and keep wondering why. I don't know.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 22, 2003

Yes, it was time to bust it out

I think it's also time for a Jonathan Brandis movie night. I'm renting The Year That Trembled and Ladybugs, maybe even Neverending Story. I guess alot of people are doing that... I also heard that the memorial service was today. And the LAPD has made is official. Movie time.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 21, 2003

Not a time for updates, just reflection.

Now that real news sources are finally starting to tell this tragic story, the fan frenzy looking for information should be soon winding down here at Sonafide.com. And that's fine with me. I'm not a reporter, news anchor, or anyone's press secretary. Just a fan feeling sorrow for the loss of someone I didn't really know, only wanted to.

I've been looking at some pictures on the web. Most of them I've seen before. As a 14 year-old girl, my walls were covered floor to ceiling with Jon's face. Other pictures, though, are new to me. Family pictures from his childhood; more recent pictures from the last couple of years. I'm struck by how happy he looked as a child, and how somber as an adult. I wonder why that smile went away. My guess doesn't count for much.

From what I've been hearing around the web, last week Jon decided to take his own life. As tragic as is the loss of a young life, thinking about the pain that would drive someone to take their lives is heartbreaking. It's not hard for me to imagine what depression is like. That's something I've lived through myself, and it was a dark, dark place. But I don't know what it's like to know you've lived your last day, then choose to die, and die alone. I don't know that. I can only imagine. And since the day that Jon chose that end, others have too. And what sorrow those families must be feeling right this very minute... what incredible sorrow.

I don't know what else to say.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 17, 2003

What's the story with Jonathan Brandis?

So it seems as though the Cleveland Plain Dealer is the only news organization reporting the story that Jonathan Brandis has died (click on the link and scroll to the bottom). I don't know whether that means that the story was a mistake, or just that other newspapers and websites haven't picked it up yet. As soon as I get any information I will post it here.

Update 11/21 11:00 am - CNN, TV Guide, LA Times, and USA Today have finally announced it.

Update 11/20 6:20 pm - Some links that are talking about Jon: Einsiders.com, Eonline.com, Minorcon.org, Gawker.com, Zap2it.com, MSN Fan Club. Also, an emotional photo.

Update 11/20 10:00 am - The Chicago Sun Times has reported on it. Thanks to all who posted the link. Also, claims from fans about cause of death.

Update 11/20 12:05 am - The Coroner's office would not confirm (at least, to me) any rumors about cause of death. There has been no official report today. I'm starting to worry that in publishing facts and rumors, I'm losing the human side to this story. A young, vibrant, and loved man has died. And that is always a tragedy. His family must be in anguish.

Update 11/19 11:20 pm - Jon's death should be announced elsewhere soon. I have contacted latimes.com, among other news outlets. Here is one response: Thanks for your story tip. We will share it with the appropriate News Desk here so they can review whether they wish to assign a reporter to investigate and/or cover that topic in our newspaper.

Sincerely,
James Bigelow
latimes.com

Update 11/19 5:55 pm - As some commenters have already noted, Jon's death has been confirmed in an announcment by Novel City Pictures, which produced The Year That Trembled, in which Jon starred. As for cause of death, the Coroner's office has yet to issue any statements. There are some unconfirmed rumors, including one floating around an online fan club, in which Jon's family believes that his use of Accutane may have lead to suicide.

Update 11/19 11:00 am - (e-mail reply received from the L.A. County Coroner's Office) - The Los Angeles County Coroner's office is investigating the death of Jonathan Gregory Brandis who died on 11/12/2003. The Coroner has completed an autopsy but the manner and cause of death are deferred pending results of tests ordered at time of examination.

David Campbell,
Public Information Officer
L.A. County Dept. of Coroner
{323-343-0512}

Update 11/18 10:00 pm - There has been some doubt in certain newsgroups that any member of the public can call the coroner and receive death confirmation. I called the office myself this morning. Here is the Coroner's website. Phone numbers are listed on the main page. Here is also a webcam shot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer article.

Update 11/18 8:27 pm - A member of an online fan club has allegedly received an e-mail from David Campbell of the LA Coroner's office, that idicates that Jon's death has been reported as a possible suicide. There has been no official report, however, regarding the actual cause of death. If this is found to be the case, I think it may explain why no press releases have been issued so far. This has to be rough for Jon's family.

Update 11/18 5:30 pm - Anyone who wishes to call the L.A. County Coroner's office should go to the office's website. The man I spoke with at the investigator's office has commented that quite a number of people have called asking about Jon, so this story should be breaking elsewhere soon.

Update 11/18 8:20 am - I have called the LA County Coroner's office myself, and a Jonthan Gregory Brandis, age 27, has died.

Update 9:39 pm - Several people (two links) have claimed to have been in contact with the L.A. County's Coroner's office, which has confirmed the story. I guess that's it.

Update 8:00 pm - Apparently, there is still conflicting information coming from all over the place. One source claims that Jon had been in a car accident and is only injured. Another source, which claims to have been in contact with the LA Coroner's office, confirms that he has, in fact, died, and an autopsy had been scheduled for last Saturday.

Update 5:41 pm - Jonathan's death has been confirmed in a personal e-mail by a producer of Jon's last movie, The Year That Trembled to a member of on online fan club. Why this hasn't been picked up yet by any other media sources, I can't say. Sorry, guys.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 15, 2003

Jonathan Brandis, 1976-2003

I read in the Plain Dealer this morning that Jonathan Brandis, teen heartthrob of the early 90's, was found dead by his friends in his L.A. apartment. The little blurb buried in the Arts & Life section didn't mention how he died or anything about funeral plans. Even though I never met Jonathan in peson, I have to admit I'm a little heartbroken today. Cheesy as it sounds, he was my first real crush. I was obsessed with the boy in junior high, and followed his career through high school. Even in college, though completely past my teenybopper crush phase, I looked him up on the web every so often just to see what he was up to. His fan base had all grown up and his spotlight had faded quite a bit since his days on Seaquest, but he was still keeping busy with movies like Hart's War and Ride With the Devil. I was pumped about that.

Reading the blurb brought me back to my obsessed-fan days. I feel like a part of my adolescence has just died in a Los Angeles apartment. To his parents, Greg and Mary, he was their son. And that is probably the greatest loss two parents can feel. It's a sad day.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 11, 2003

Saturday night Hair

Over the weekend my old roomie and I went to see our school's production of Hair. The singing was great, and the actors seemed to really enjoy playing their parts. They stayed in character even during the intermission, interacting with the audience members as hippie children from 1968. One of them even tried to get me up to dance with them during the show.

At the end, after the Vietnam death of a character on stage, an actor called for everyone's attention, and annouced that since starting rehearsals for that play, over 170 American soldiers were killed in Iraq. That's a lot of bodies, a lot of people my own age who were alive only a few short weeks ago when rehearsals for Hair began. And those are only Americans... not British, Iraqi, or other people.

I wonder about the people in Iraq right now who will die tomorrow. Tonight is the last night they sleep, tomorrow the last morning they awake. And what about those that live today but won't a month from now? A year from now? If I'm not the most patriotic person, and if I don't chant Go America, kick some ass in my loudest voice, this is why. Chanting and flag-waiving just don't seem appropriate to me right now; the bell is still tolling. And it tolls constantly.

God Bless the World.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 09, 2003

Will this ever work right? Sheesh.

So already someone tells me this website is loading slowly for them. I thought for once I had it right, but I guess not. I'm using POS AOL and it's loading quickly for me, but for whatever reason my previewing buddy is not having the greatest luck with it. If anyone else is having problems with it, I apologize in advance. Stupid internet.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

This is starting to become a habit

So, I've been gone for a little while again. Doing what, you may ask? Well, a whole lot of nothing. It seems like that's all I've been doing for a quite some time now... nothing. I've gone to work, come back home, done a little research on graduate school, then gone back to work. That's been the pattern of the last couple of months. I never promised you that I was terribly exciting. I hope you missed me anyway.

I've also decided to make a new little layout for my web site since it seems like the last version decided to be a prick, and would not allow some folks to upload it without freezing (sorry bro). My bad. I hope this one is a little easier, a little faster. And no, I didn't add any more artwork yet. I have nothing to add, because I've got precious little time to work on it (see above).

I will try my best to keep this thing updated at least every other day, if not every day. I miss rambling on here anyway. And I have quite a bit to ramble about over the next few days (the war, my dad's computer lessons, and my inability to stay connected with my friends from college). I will get to it, promise. I've missed you guys too.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

November 01, 2003

Happy Halloween

Too much candy. That's all I have to say.

Pop-up comments disabled in Archives | Permalink

This is my blogchalk:
United States, Ohio, Cleveland, English, Croatian, Drina, Female, 21-25, painting, psychology.

E-mail me