Sophie Nyweide, 'Mammoth' and 'An Invisible Sign' child star, dies at 24: Reports
Sophie Nyweide, 'Mammoth' and 'An Invisible Sign' child star, dies at 24: Reports
Actress and former child star Sophie Nyweide, best known for her roles in the films "Mammoth" and "An Invisible Sign," has died, according to reports. She was 24.
Nyweide died April 14, according to an obituary published on Legacy.com April 17. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Nyweide's mother, fellow actress Shelly Gibson, confirmed her daughter's death to The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ in articles published April 22. Gibson said Nyweide died in Bennington, Vermont, and noted there is an ongoing police investigation.
"Sophie. A life ended too soon. May it not be in vain," Nyweide's obituary stated. "May we all learn from her brief life on earth and do better. Yes, we must all protect our children and do better."
Representatives for Nyweide were not available for comment at the time of publication.
Although the circumstances surrounding Nyweide's death are unclear, the obituary statement acknowledged some of the actress's personal struggles.
"Sophie was a kind and trusting girl," the obituary stated. "Often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others. She wrote and drew voraciously, and much of this art depicts the depth she had, and it also represents the pain she suffered. Many of her writings and artwork are roadmaps of her struggles and traumas."
Despite the interventions of Nyweide's loved ones, along with "therapists, law enforcement officers and others who tried to help her," the actress reportedly succumbed to self-medication to "deal with all the trauma and shame she held inside, and it resulted in her death," the obituary continued.
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The death notice does not specify the traumas Nyweide may have suffered, with the obituary noting, "She repeatedly said she would 'handle it' on her own and was compelled to reject the treatment that might possibly have saved her life."
The obituary concluded with a request for the public to donate to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, an anti-sexual violence organization, in lieu of giving gifts or flowers.
Sophie Nyweide finds child stardom with 'Mammoth,' 'An Invisible Sign'
Nyweide made her acting debut at just 6 years old in the 2006 romantic drama "Bella," playing the title role alongside Eduardo Verástegui, Tammy Blanchard and Manny Perez.
"I really, really wanted to be an actress, and I kept begging my mom," Nyweide told The Barre Montpelier Times Argus in a January 2010 interview. "She thought it was funny because before I was born, she was an actress."
Following appearances in the late-2000s films "And Then Came Love," "Margot at the Wedding" and "New York City Serenade," Nyweide landed the role of Jackie Vidales in the Michelle Williams and Gael García Bernal-starring "Mammoth," released in 2009.
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Nyweide's next breakout role came in 2010's "An Invisible Sign," a coming-of-age dramedy in which Nyweide played the student of math teacher Mona Gray, portrayed by Golden Globe-nominated actress Jessica Alba.
"She seemed happiest on a movie set, becoming someone else," Nyweide's obituary stated. "It was a safe place for her, and she relished the casts and crews who nourished her talent and her well-being."
Nyweide's acting career slowed following "An Invisible Sign." She performed in a couple of short films as well as had a minor role in Darren Aronofsky's 2014 religious epic "Noah."
According to Nyweide's IMDb page, her final role was a 2015 appearance on the ABC hidden-camera reality show "What Would You Do?"
If you or someone you know needs help battling a substance abuse addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
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When #MeToo erupted eight years ago, it forced many everyday Americans to reexamine experiences they'd had in their workplaces and homes. The movement has, by many indications, petered out or even curdled into backlash: Yesterday, one of Diddy's lawyers asked Mia whether she was looking for a 'Me Too money grab,' which suggests he thinks the very words Me Too might be tinged for some jury members. But to sit with the allegations against Combs—and the experiences of the alleged victims—is to again be confronted with the underlying reasons that movement happened. It's to be confronted with the intolerable things that happen when men are given the power to pursue their desires however they want, and to extract whatever they want from their underlings. A lot of people would evidently prefer to turn away from that confrontation—and to focus on fantasy. Since I started paying attention to the case, my YouTube algorithm has become polluted by videos with AI-generated courtroom sketches of stars such as Will Smith and Jay-Z, paired with totally imaginary testimony about their involvement in Combs's crimes. The videos are yet another sign that our society is losing any shared sense of reality. They do, however, have disclaimers stipulating that they are fiction, which raises the question: Why is this the story someone wants to hear? Perhaps because tales of demonic Hollywood cabals offer a simple, clear-cut narrative that doesn't ask us to reflect on how domestic violence and sexual coercion really get perpetuated—and perhaps because that narrative benefits certain agendas. Last month, I tuned in to Asmongold, a popular Twitch streamer who interprets the daily news for a large audience of young, often aggrieved men. He had a glazed look in his eyes as TV news footage related to the trial played on his screen. Then he said, 'I don't care about this case at all—until Diddy starts naming names.'
