Martial arts fighter and television star Darren Shahlavi died at his Los Angeles home on Jan. 14 from a suspected overdose on prescription medication. According to reports, the 42-year-old had a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Shahlavi's younger sister confirmed the death on Twitter, E! Online reports.
"Don't know how to express the emotions I'm feeling right now. Last night I found out my dearest brother had past away, he was a true inspiration to so many people including myself and I will forever be proud of all of your accomplishments with your acting career," his younger sister, Malouse, tweeted.
"I can not begin to explain how much you will be missed by me and our family," she added. "You were an amazing person with endless talent. You will be forever loved by so many x."
His agent told Variety that Shahlavi died in his sleep. The martial artist appeared on the hit CW show "Arrow" in a fight scene involving Stephen Amell's character Oliver Queen. He also starred on "Mortal Kombat: Legacy," a web series based off the video game "Mortal Kombat."
"RIP Darren Shahlavi. 1st guy I ever fought on Arrow. He was a great dude & a patient, thoughtful partner. Fight looked good because of him," Amell tweeted.
According to TMZ, the Los Angeles County Coroner will perform toxicology tests to determine the official cause of death.
