What is an aortic aneurysm? An aortic aneurysm (say a-OR-tik AN-yuh-rih-zum) is a bulge in a section of the aorta, the body's main artery. The aorta carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Because the section with the aneurysm is overstretched and weak, it can burst. If the aorta bursts, it can cause serious bleeding that can quickly lead to death.
Sometimes drug abuse was involved, sometimes not. Actor Brad Renfro battled addiction demons in the last years of his life. After starring in The Client as a young teen, Renfro died of a heroin overdose in 2008. Child actors who committed suicide are also included on this list. In August of 2013, for example, former Disney star Lee Thompson Young, who appeared on the show Famous Jett Jackson and had a part in the TV crime drama 'Rizzoli & Isles,' took his own life at the age of 29.
In November of 2003, 'seaQuest DSV' star Jonathan Brandis committed suicide at the age of 27. If you're looking for more information about famous celebrities who died young, check out these lists of members of the '27 club' (who died at age 27) and the most depressing celebrity trainwrecks of all time.