Adam Rich's Cause of Death Confirmed 5 Months After Former Child Star Was Found Dead in Home
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'Eight Is Enough' child actor Adam Rich died on Jan. 8 at age 54
Adam Rich's cause of death has been confirmed.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office, Rich died on Jan. 8 due to "effects of fentanyl." The report listed the manner of his death as an accident.
Rich was just 54 years old when he was found dead inside his home earlier this year. His cause of death was initially deferred pending further investigation, but law enforcement sources claimed there was no sign of foul play when the actor's body was discovered, TMZ reported.
Related: Adam Rich, Star of 'Eight Is Enough', Dead at 54
Rich was best known for appearing in the 1970s television show Eight Is Enough as Nicholas Bradford, the youngest child of Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten) and his wife (Diana Hyland).
Other career highlights included appearing in ABC's Code Red in 1981 and 1983's Dungeons & Dragons, in which he voiced teenage wizard Presto the Magician. In the '80s, he also appeared in the TV movies spin-offs Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion and An Eight Is Enough Wedding.
Because he was 18 at the time the movies began production, he joked to PEOPLE that he'd gotten "a lot less cute" since the original series.
Rich's Eight Is Enough costars mourned his death in the days following the news, and revealed they kept close friendships with the child star in adulthood.
Willie Aames, who played Rich's brother on the family show, wrote an emotional Facebook post about their friendship. "This morning [my wife] Winnie woke me with the heartbreaking news of Adam Rich's passing," he wrote. "I'm gutted. Adam was more than a colleague. He was very much my only little brother. A lifelong friend."
In another part of the statement, Aames also revealed Rich was considering a return to acting before his death. "These last few years Adam had dreams of renewing his career. He was one of those kid actors that our generation will always remember."
Costar Grant Goodeve opened up to PEOPLE about how spending time with Rich had "inspired" to pursue fatherhood.
"During Christmas week of 1977, my wife Debbie and I took Adam back to our family homes in Vermont," he shared. "We had a great time and he was big hit with all our family and friends!" he continues. "We also taught him to ski, which he picked up very quickly. We were so inspired by our time with Adam that Debbie and I decided we wanted to have children and we were married the next spring."
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On-screen stepmother Betty Buckley also shared an Instagram tribute reading, "Adam Rich was a light and my young pal for the four seasons I was blessed to work with him on Eight Is Enough. I adored him and loved working with him in our scenes together on the show. He was so sweet, funny, fresh and natural. He brought a lot of joy to all of us on the show and to our audiences. Adam and I have remained friends all of these years. His love and support have always meant a lot to me."
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