TikTok star Cooper Noriega’s cause of death has been confirmed as an accidental drug overdose.

Six months after the 19-year-old was found dead in a mall parking lot in Los Angeles, the medical examiner revealed that he died from the combined effects of various benzodiazepines and fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that accounts for over half of all drug-related overdoses in the U.S.

IN MEMORIAM 2022: 100 GREAT CELEBRITIES WHO DIED THIS YEAR!

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner report showed alprazolam, sold under the generic name Xanax, and lorazepam, a sedative used for anxiety, in Noriega’s system. The report also noted he had been using clonazepam, or Klonopin, leading up to his death. His death was ruled an accident.

Noriega was open about his struggles with mental health and addiction. Shortly before his death, he posted on Instagram about his feelings and shared that he was creating a Discord server dedicated to talking about mental health.

“I would like to use the influence I’ve been given to create a space built on spreading awareness and normalizing talking about mental illness,” he wrote on Instagram. “One of the many things I’ve learnt while struggling with addiction was that surrounding yourself with negative people will only bring you down.”

@coopernoriega

love u all so much ❤️♬ Skate – Trees and Lucy

Earlier this year, Noriega’s family said in a statement that they raised $85,000 for the Coops Advice Foundation, a nonprofit founded in his name which “aims to become a leader in the movement to rethink how our society understands and addresses mental health and addiction, especially among the members of Gen Z.”

Friends, fans and family have publicly grieved the teenager and shared how much he impacted people during his life.

Noriega’s father shared an emotional message on Facebook remembering him after his death.

“There are no words to express the grief and loss. It’s not supposed to be this way,” he said. “Cooper touched so many people.”

Leave a comment

Read more about: