Less than two weeks after fan-favorite Mighty Morphin Power Rangers alum and MMA athlete Jason David Frank was found dead of a presumed suicide, his wife Tammie Frank has started opening up about the tragedy and the difficult time that she’s had in the aftermath. Part of her reasoning for speaking out, beyond simply sharing her feelings, is to share details and clarifications about their up-and-down relationship, as well as the night of his death, that she feels have been misrepresented by the media.
Tammy Frank confirmed to People that her husband’s cause of death was officially the result of suicide, though she took issue with news outlets running those claims at the time of his death, before anything was made official. Her statement then went on to address the alleged harassment she’s received, further claiming that she was as surprised as the majority of the fandom to discover the extent of the Power Rangers star’s depression. In her words:
While Jason was a well-known name to some, we lived a very normal life with ups and downs, just like anyone else. It has shocked and saddened me beyond belief to see that the media has turned my family’s tragedy into a tall tale. Since Jason’s death, I have been harassed online and can no longer stand to watch my husband’s good name slandered. I loved my husband, and we were trying to work through our problems. His death comes as much a shock to me as anyone else. The truth is, I had no idea that Jason was thinking of ending things. Yes, he had struggled with mental health issues and depression before, but I could never predict what would happen that night.
No one can, or should be expected to, know everything that’s going on in anyone else’s mental space, regardless of marital status or personal connections. And for Tammie Frank, her last night with her husband was set up to be part of a “fun weekend getaway” that would help rekindle their love for one another. This is a detail that she stressed was misrepresented in news reports, saying it was around six weeks prior to his death that they attempted to make it work anew, thanks to the advice of a family friend. In her words:
We initially planned to separate; that part is true. However, that is only part of the story. The part that hasn’t been told is that at the time of his passing, we had called off our separation and were in the process of reuniting. Don’t get me wrong, we had ups and downs and many troubles during our 19-year marriage, but this was an especially hard year for us.
A year prior, Tammie Frank’s daughter Shayla passed away. JDF, who’d helped raise both Shayla and her own son, was the one who found her dead, and the whole of emotional situation had a negative impact on their marriage. They chose to separate at the time, in lieu of otehr options, and both realized they needed to approach their attempts at reconnecting slowly and with consideration for issues that caused problem previously.
Jason David Frank booked their weekend getaway tied to a country dancing event, of which the actor was a fan, and said their evening was going quite well as things started to wind down just prior to tragedy striking. According to Tammie Frank:
We danced and stayed out at the event until the bar closed. When we got back to the hotel, Jason and I were having a heartfelt and emotional talk in his room. To help Jason relax and sober up before turning down to sleep, I went downstairs to get us snacks from the lobby. I must’ve been gone no more than 10 minutes. I went back upstairs and began knocking on the door to no answer. I knocked repeatedly and kept calling for his name to open the door. I don’t know if the hotel staff or a guest called the police, but after I was taken downstairs by the police, they were able to open the door and found that Jason took his life.
Tammie Frank then asked for fans and followers to respect her and her family’s wishes to grieve his passing in peace, while requesting everyone stop sharing false sentiments about their private lives. That said, she also shared thanks and appreciation for those who have shared kind words and memories.
Jason David Frank’s friend and fellow MMA fighter Mike Bronzoulis shared his thoughts and assessment of the actor’s mental state in the days after Frank’s death, claiming he’d been heavily affected by the death of his mother several years ago, and that other suicides within the family also weighed heavily.
The death of Jason David Frank, who famously wasn’t a fan of the gritty Power Rangers fan film, is being honored by his MMA academy, Rising Sun Karate, which will continue to remain open and operating so that Frank’s teachings and wisdom will still be passed along to current and future students. The business also plans to pay tribute to Frank in a more direct way, but those plans have not been made public just yet.
Fans can watch Jason David Frank in Power Rangers action in past episodes using a Netflix subscription.
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