Sophie Nyweide reportedly struggled with addiction for years and had multiple run ins with police before her tragic death

Fans grieved for the actress and former child star Sophie Nyweide after her death on Monday, April 14. Her film career spanned from 2006 to 2015, and she was seen in movies like Bella, Margot at the Wedding, and Noah.

In the weeks before she was found unresponsive near the Roaring Branch River, Sophie Nyweide had been the subject of multiple emergency calls, including one for a suicide attempt and another for a welfare check. According to Us Magazine, the former actress had at least 19 interactions with the police in Bennington, Vermont, most of them drug-related. Documents cited in the report list heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl among the substances involved.

Sophie Nyweide’s struggles with addiction and recent police contacts come to light:

Police officers investigating the death had not ruled out foul play, as per reports by TMZ, several potential causes were being examined. Her mother, Shelly, shared a statement with TMZ on April 22, sharing:

"My knowledge is she was using drugs and was a tiny young woman, she was with other people when she died. I didn't know them. There is an investigation ongoing. The autopsy results are not in. They said it would take six to eight weeks. So I can't say definitively.”

She added that those who knew Sophie Nyweide were “very distraught and mourning.”

According to reports by US Magazine, Sophie Nyweide, also known legally as Marion S. Nyweide, came under police scrutiny during two separate incidents in April 2024.

The initial call involved a report of a suspicious vehicle. Officers found Sophie behind the wheel and reported that she appeared fatigued. She told them she had “just left the hospital, was tired, and was looking for a spot to sleep.” She went on to explain that she had parked outside a location where she “used to buy drugs” and was “hoping to ‘use.’” Police noted the presence of “approximately five burnt Chore Boy pieces,” typically associated with drug use.

A few weeks later, another police contact occurred in Bennington. Authorities approached a car and encountered Nyweide, who identified herself as “Sophie.” Officers placed her in hand restraints after spotting a “glassine stamped baggie,” which investigators said matched packaging consistent with heroin/fentanyl.”

According to a report by The Guardian, an online obituary was shared, but left out the cause of her death on April 14th.

“Sophie was a kind and trusting girl, often this left her open to being taken advantage of by others. She wrote and drew voraciously and much of this art depicts the depth she had and it also represents the pain she suffered. Many of her writings and artwork are roadmaps of her struggles and traumas." it reads.

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“Even with those roadmaps, diagnoses, and her own revelations, those closest to her, plus therapists, law enforcement officers and others who tried to help her are heartbroken their efforts couldn’t save her […] She repeatedly said she would ‘handle it’ on her own and was compelled to reject the treatment that might possibly have saved her life. Sophie. A life ended too soon. May it not be in vain. May we all learn from her brief life on earth and do better. Yes, we must all protect our children and do better.” the obituary continued.

Fans will forever hold her performances close to their hearts and wonder what could have been if she had had the chance to make more out of her career.

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