Cyberbullying may have been responsible for the suicide death of Storage Wars fan-favorite Darrell Sheets, the reality star’s castmate says.
Rene Nezhoda, a rival of Sheets on the popular A&E reality television series, said in an Instagram video on Wednesday that his castmate had been dealing with online harassment.
“He had this guy, like, really, really tormenting him lately and cyberbullying [him],” Nezhoda, 49, said in the video.
“Darrell has been posting a lot about the guy that’s been cyberbullying him and tormenting him, and I really hope [law enforcement] look into that guy and it’s just not a pass,” he added.
Sgt. Kyle Ridgway, a public information officer for the Lake Havasu City Police Department, told Page Six on Wednesday that authorities “are aware of these cyberbullying accusations and that is a part of the active investigation.”
The Daily Beast reached out to the Lake Havasu City Police Department for comment.
Police said Sheets, 67, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, around 2 a.m. on Wednesday.
“The male was pronounced deceased on scene, and the Lake Havasu City Police Department’s criminal investigations unit was notified and responded to the scene to assume the investigation,” a press release said.
Sheets’s body was transferred to the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office for examination.
“Guys, just because you watch us on television doesn’t mean you know us,” Nezhoda said in the social media video. “It doesn’t mean you know what we’re about.”
“As a matter of fact, if you have somebody in your life that thinks it’s funny to cyberbully other people,” he continued. “Slap them in the back of the head.”
Sheets, nicknamed “The Gambler,” appeared in 15 seasons of the hit show, which followed professional buyers bidding on abandoned storage units.
After 13 years on the show, the reality star retired to Lake Havasu City and opened an antique shop named Havasu Show Me Your Junk. He is survived by two children and his ex-wife, Kimber Wuerfel.
“We are saddened by the passing of a beloved member of our Storage Wars family, Darrell ‘The Gambler’ Sheets," a spokesperson for the network said in a statement to People. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
