Verne Troyer, ki ga širša javnost najbolj pozna po vlogi "Mini-Me" v filmu Austin Powers. Novico o smrti je potrdila njegova družina v izjavi za tabloidno spletno stran TMZ.

"Z veliko žalostjo in težkim srcem vam sporočamo, da se je od nas poslovil Verne," so zapisali njegovi svojci ob objavi fotografije na pokojnikovem profilu na Instagramu. "Leta se je boril in zmagoval, boril in zmagoval, boril in se še malo bolj boril, toda žal je bilo tokrat zanj preveč," so že zapisali. Ob tem pa niso navedli vzroka smrti.

Troyer je vzbudil pozornost rumenih medijev na začetku meseca, ko je prijatelj poklical policijo zaradi njegovega "samomorilskega" vedenja. Po besedah mož v modrem je prijatelj zvezdnika filmov o vohunu Austinu Powersu opisal kot "zelo vznemirjenega, pijanega in nagnjenega k samomorilskim mislim". Policisti so 49-letnega igralca odpeljali v bolnišnico, kjer so ga sprejeli zaradi morebitne zastrupitve z alkoholom.

Po poročanju portala Blast so takrat Troyerja sprejeli na kliniko za odvajanje od alkohola – kar je tudi potrdil z zapisom na družbenem omrežju Instagram. "Oglasili so se nekateri zaskrbljeni oboževalci, rad bi nekaj razčistil. Kot vsi veste, sem se v preteklosti boril z zasvojenostjo z alkoholom. In to ni bil vedno lahek boj. Toda imam voljo, da ga nadaljujem," je zapisal igralec.

"Mini-Me" iz v uvodu omenjenih parodij na vohunske filme, ki jih je na prelomu v novo tisočletje posnel Mike Myers, se že leta bojuje z odvisnostjo. Leta 2002 je komaj 81 cm visoki igralec, ki velja za enega najmanjših moških na svetu, zaradi zastrupitve z alkoholom skoraj umrl.

It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today. Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday. He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination, and attitude. On film & television sets, commercial shoots, at comic-con’s & personal appearances, to his own YouTube videos, he was there to show everyone what he was capable of doing. Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he’d be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined. He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know. Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years he’s struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much. During this recent time of adversity he was baptized while surrounded by his family. The family appreciates that they have this time to grieve privately. Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in Verne’s name to either of his two favorite charities; The Starkey Hearing Foundation and Best Buddies. Photo by @paulmobleystudio

A post shared by Verne Troyer (@vernetroyer) on Apr 21, 2018 at 12:58pm PDT