Former child actress Sophie Nyweide, who passed away last week aged just 24, was pregnant when she died her death certificate reveals.
Nyweide, best known for starring beside Jessica Alba in Invisible Sign, along with her roles in Noah and Mammoth, was pronounced dead just after 4:50 a.m. on April 14 in a wooded area near Park Street in Bennington, Vermont.
Bennington Police Department confirmed to The Independent earlier this week that it responded to a report of an unresponsive female that day and administered life-saving measures before Nyweide was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials confirmed that they are investigating the death as a possible “unintentional overdose.”
The cause of death is still being determined, with the autopsy and toxicology results not yet revealed.
“My knowledge is she was using drugs and was a tiny young woman,” her mother, Shelly Gibson, told the celebrity news site earlier this week. “She was with other people when she died.”
Gibson confirmed details of the investigation and said that it could take up to eight weeks for autopsy results to be determined. She added that family and friends of Nyweide “are very distraught and mourning.”
Bennington Chief of Police Paul Doucette confirmed that an individual was present with Nyweide at the time of her death. That same individual, who phoned 911, is cooperating with investigators, he added.
“Investigators are investigating this as a possible unintentional overdose,” he added. “As with any untimely death, Bennington Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) will conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation leading up to, as well as the cause of, Nyweide’s death.
Nyweide made her screen debut at the age of six in Alejandro Gómez Monteverde’s 2006 drama Bella.
She appeared in an episode of Law & Order in 2007, before going on to be cast as the daughter of Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams’ characters in Lukas Moodysson’s 2009 romantic drama Mammoth. Her minor role in Darren Aronofsky’s 2014 adventure epic Noah was her last casting in a feature film.
Following Nyweide’s death, her family honored her life on and off the screen in an online tribute.
“She seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else. It was a safe place for her and she relish [sic] from the casts and crews who nourished her talent and her well being,” it read.
“Her death has left a hole in all. Sadness, loss, heartbreak and even anger is present for those who loved her and now will have to continue on without her laughter, infectious passion and zest – without those amazing blue eyes that could look directly into one’s soul.”
