Verne Troyer Once Shared the Will to Battle His Inner Demons, a Year Later He Took His Own Life

Verne Troyer tried to run away from his demons most of his adult life, but they eventually caught him up. Earlier in the month he died, he was hospitalized for the same reason that killed him.

To many of Verne Troyer’s fans, he was Mini-Me, Mike Myers’ hilarious sidekick in the “Austin Powers” film franchise. When cameras were not rolling, though, he dealt with substance abuse.

VERNE TROYER’S DEMONS

Born in January 1969, Troyer grew up in an Amish community in Michigan and started having what he described as a “bit of an alcohol problem” after portraying Mini-Me.

His issues with alcohol were anything but minor. In 2002, he drank so much alcohol that he almost died of alcohol poisoning. The trigger was breaking up with his then-fiancée, Playboy model Genevieve Gallen.

Three years later, Troyer went viral again for his appearance on VH1’s “The Surreal Life.” He drank too much and ended up urinating in the weight room he shared with late professional wrestler Chyna and “The Brady Bunch” star Christopher Knight.

Troyer didn’t need to drink to make headlines, though. In 2008, portions of his and actress Ranae Shrider’s sex tapes were leaked to the press.

RESTRAINING ORDER

Apart from that, one of his ex-girlfriends, model Yvette Monet, requested a restraining order against the actor in 2009 as he supposedly wouldn’t stop sending her abusive messages.

The former couple parted ways in early 2009, and he seemingly had a hard time getting over her. Troyer’s texts and emails were so severe that Monet even feared for her life.

Monet said he would frequently call her names and once told her he hoped God was with her and she “better watch out” because he knew friends who owned weapons. She added:

“[Troyer] will not stop. I've asked him more than 10 times to leave me alone... He said that he won't stop because he doesn't want me to see anyone else.”

TRYING TO GET SOBER

Troyer eventually realized he had a severe problem with alcoholism and went to rehab twice. In 2016, though, he admitted he drank “occasionally” and not as much as he used to.

His death was ruled as a suicide by alcohol intoxication.

In April 2017, his substance abuse problems took him to the hospital, and he voluntarily checked into a treatment center to continue his battle against his addiction.

He took to social media to let his followers know that things had not always been easy, but he was willing to keep fighting. After thanking people for their kind messages, he wrote that he could beat his addiction with their support.

TROYER’S DEATH

Unfortunately, he couldn’t escape from his demons for long. In April 2018, Troyer himself called 911 extremely upset and drunk, and he would repeat that he wanted to die.

After authorities arrived at the scene, Troyer, who also dealt with depression, was taken to the hospital, treated for alcohol poisoning, and held for 72 hours for evaluation.

On April 21, 2018, a few weeks after that incident, Troyer passed away. The official report revealed that he had multiple organ failure. His death was ruled as a suicide by alcohol intoxication.

Unfortunately, Troyer was not the only person who died by suicide after achieving fame. Lenny Ross, a child prodigy who once was the biggest money winner in radio and TV quiz shows’ history, passed away in a pool after dealing with depression and other mental ailments.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.