Aussie actress Clare McCann reveals her 'unimaginable pain' after 13-year-old son died by suicide amid 'horrendous bullying'
Australian actress Clare McCann has revealed her 13-year-old son Atreyu died by suicide after he was bullied at school.
On Sunday, the 32-year-old took to Instagram to announce Atreyu McCann's passing, also sharing a photo of the teenager.
"He was the brightest light in my world — kind, creative, and endlessly loved," McCann wrote.
In a further update on Monday, she said Atreyu "suffered horrendous amounts of bullying" before his death and was "let down" by the schooling system.
"As my worst nightmare has come to life my child's has been stolen," McAnn wrote.
"It breaks my heart beyond what words can compare to share that in a moment of unbearable pain Atreyu took his own life.
"This was not his fault."
McCann also asked her 62,000 followers to urgently donate to a GoFundMe page to raise $300,000 for the cryogenic preservation of Atreyu's body.
The actress hopes the process can revive her son in the future by freezing his body or brain at an extremely low temperature.
"We only have one chance left to cryogenically preserve his body within the next 7 days," she wrote.
"If we miss this window, we lose the chance for any future revival that science may offer.
"This is about hope and justice. Refusing to let my son's story end in silence."
The GoFundMe page has raised $2,785 at the time of writing.
McCann is best known for her break-out role as Cherry on the TV series Blog Party.
She went on to tour internationally in numerous live music and theatre shows and is a regular on the Sydney social scene.
The actress more recently wrote, directed, and starred in the 2019 independent film Benefited.
Atreyu, who was a budding child actor with many film credits, also starred in the film before his tragic death.
McCann often brought her talented son along to glamorous red-carpet premiers for new films and theatrical productions in Sydney, where the duo were a staple.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


7NEWS
28 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Australian influencer Dominique Elissa narrowly escapes death after sauna explosion in backyard
Australian influencer and model Dominique Elissa narrowly escaped death after a sauna exploded in the backyard of a property she was staying at. The 30-year-old revealed she was staying at a house 30 minutes from Byron Bay, had no reception, no close neighbours and was just minutes from entering the sauna when it blew up. 'I had the most crazy, traumatising, near-death experience the other night,' Ms Elissa said in a TikTok video. 'I had put the sauna on. . . I was in it the night before, and I thought I'll just cook dinner quickly and then go in, in 40 minutes, which is what you do for a lot of saunas, you let them heat up.' Loading TikTok Post Ms Elissa explained she had just finished eating and was about to put her bathers on for the sauna when she heard a huge bang. 'I hear 'boom' and I look up and the entire sauna exploded,' she said. 'It was like a 10 to 15-metre-high explosion, all the power went out, my phone was about to die, I have no reception. 'I am screaming 'Help! Somebody help me', like it was a horror movie.' Ms Elissa was able to dial 000 but by the time emergency services arrived, the whole sauna had burnt to the ground. 'It was the most horrific thing to experience because I was a few minutes from going into that sauna.' She said the incident has proven to her how precious life is and she is grateful to have escaped without injuries. 'Life is fragile, you have no idea what curveballs life is going to throw at you. It was the craziest 24 hours of my entire life.' 'I just feel so grateful to be alive.' Ms Elissa's year has not been easy, with her mother passing away in March after a devastating battle with cancer. Just two weeks before her mum's death, Ms Elissa held a wedding at the hospital so she could celebrate her marriage to her partner Tom Bull while her mum was still alive. She said it was the best decision she ever made. The couple will also hold another wedding in Italy later this year.


Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Aussie TV star takes on Dancing with The Stars
Big birthdays can often prompt people to take on new challenges. And so perhaps it was serendipitous that when New Zealand and Australian actress Rebecca Gibney turned 60 last year she was also asked a question that previously she had outright rejected: 'Will you take part in Dancing With The Stars?' 'I did think: I'm 60. I can either continue down the path of more wine, more hot chips, less exercise or I can take this moment and use it as a chance to reset. Reset my body, reset my brain and bounce into my 60s with a bit of vim and vigour,' Gibney says with a laugh. Despite her enthusiasm, Gibney, best known for her role as Julie Rafter on Packed To The Rafters, admits walking into the rehearsal studio on that first day — having recently recovered from a bout of COVID-19 and carrying a little extra weight following a UK holiday — was a little intimidating. She says before the show, her dancing experience was limited to 'a few jazz ballet classes as a kid'. 'My (dance) partner was the reigning champion so the first thing I said to him was 'lower your expectations. mate!',' she says. 'He just said to me 'we're going to go very slowly'. 'It was much more of a physical and mental challenge than I was expecting. 'I did sort of beat myself up a bit wishing that I'd gotten a bit fitter prior, because I was probably about 20-30 years older than most of the others,' The others in Gibney's 2025 cohort of the popular competition show include Olympians Harry Garside and Susie O'Neill, Comedians Felicity Ward and Shaun Micallef, and a collection of familiar faces from across Australian news, sport and entertainment including Osher Gunsberg, Trent Cotchin, Michael Usher, Karina Carvalho, Brittany Hockley, Mia Fevola, and Kyle Shilling. 'Most of them I was meeting for the first time and that's the best thing that's come out of this whole experience, the relationships that I have formed,' Gibney says. Rebecca Gibney. Credit: Nicholas Wilson 'It becomes such a tight-knit family. and because you are going through something random and weird that no one else would quite understand, it really bonds you quite quickly. 'And we were all from such different walks of life. There was the beautiful Susie O'Neill, who has won a gajillion gold medals in the swimming pool, but as soon as she got on the dance floor she was like the rest of us, completely out of her comfort zone. 'And Michael Usher who has been a news reader for 27 years and completely in control, but the minute he got out on the dance floor, he turned to jelly. So it was amazing to have the same experience and be able to share it with these people.' Dancing With The Stars isn't the only new challenge Gibney has set herself this year. Next month she is starring in the Sydney Theatre Company production Circle Mirror Transformation, the first time she has done any theatre work in 23 years. 'My first thought is to go 'it's terrifying', but my son keeps going: 'Mum, nerves and fear and excitement are the same emotion, so flip it',' she says. There seems to be a lot of advice being traded in the Gibney family. Her son, Zac Bell, made headlines last year when he gave a speech about his mum at the Logies when she was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Bell has recently finished up at drama school in New Zealand and is set to move to Sydney to follow in his mother's footsteps in the acting world. 'My biggest advice to him, because he has been auditioning a lot, and hasn't got as many roles as he obviously would like — he's had a couple of small ones, but he's had a few knock backs — and I've just said: 'Darling, you've always got to remember that what is for you will not pass by. That if it is meant for you, it will come',' Gibney says. For Gibney, what was meant for her in 2025 was Dancing With The Stars, and no doubt many people will be cheering the unlikely contender on. Dancing With The Stars is on Sunday, June 15, at 7pm on Channel 7 and 7Plus.


7NEWS
6 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Flack Attack! Star designer's Brunswick Home just listed
One of Melbourne's most creatively imagined homes has hit the market, and it belongs to none other than David Flack, founder of the acclaimed Flack Studio. Flack rose to global design fame following the striking transformation of pop superstar Troye Sivan's Carlton home, which earned him a coveted spot on Architectural Digest's AD100 list in 2022. Since then, he's become the go-to designer for a host of Australian celebrities , including comedian Andy Lee and his fiance Rebecca Harding, who tapped Flack Studio to breathe new life into their crumbling Hawthorn mansion, Ravenswood. He's also collected a string of accolades along the way, from an IDEA (Interior Design Excellence Award) to Vogue Living's Creative of the Year at the VL50. Now, Flack is offering up one of his own, a picture-perfect Victorian terrace at 7 Howard Street, Brunswick. Meticulously reimagined by Flack and his partner Jason Olive, the home blends period charm with bold, contemporary detailing, the kind of work that's become Flack Studio's signature. Inside, the two-bedroom, one-bathroom residence is packed with character and craftsmanship. The original bones of the 1901 cottage remain, think soaring ceilings, exposed brick and beautiful Baltic pine floors, but have been elevated with rich colour, custom textures, and high-impact flourishes. "The house embraces the unique exposed brick walls, original Baltic pine floorboards, and heritage features throughout," Flack told The Design Files. "Our interventions of materials are a balance between warm, natural, and muddy tones, scorched almond, camel, olive, white pepper, accented with punchy glossy red openings and transitions painted." The kitchen is a highlight, where handmade Italian terracotta tiles meet creamy quartzite benchtops and a striking red steel portal connecting to the dining area. A picture window offers a leafy view to the garden, the perfect place to curl up with a book or enjoy a quiet morning coffee. The bathroom is equally considered, layered with blue marble floors, fluted glass, Venetian plaster, and a custom stainless-steel vanity, all gently lit by a handmade sconce. A nearby powder room continues the same moody elegance, complete with polished plaster and subtle metallics. Other features include solar power, hydronic and underfloor heating, air conditioning, wool carpets, high-end hardware, and a lushly landscaped garden, complete with an outdoor shower. A rear laneway provides private parking, but with cafés, trams, Anstey Station, Sydney Road and Lygon Street all within walking distance, you'll barely need a car. With renovation costs soaring, Flack says this home offers something rare: a ready-made, designer-crafted sanctuary. The property is listed with a price guide of $1.4 million to $1.5 million and is set to go under the hammer on Saturday, June 21 at 1:00pm.