Fresh information has surfaced regarding the demise of David Gail. The actor, celebrated for his performances in Port Charles and Beverly Hills, 90210, passed away on January 16 at the age of 58.
According to a statement from Gail’s publicist on behalf of his family, he succumbed to anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy—a brain injury caused by insufficient blood flow—after being resuscitated from cardiopulmonary arrest triggered by drug intoxication involving substances such as amphetamines, cocaine, ethanol, and fentanyl.
In the statement, Gail’s mother, Mary Painter, shared her heartbreak over her son’s death.
“It breaks my heart to learn that my son died this way,” Painter said. “David became reliant on medicine many years ago, after multiple surgeries on his hands and wrists. He lived in enough pain to prevent him from working for almost a decade, with relief only achieved through full disability, physical therapy, and pain medicine.”
“He struggled to stop taking pharmaceuticals and did before turning toward a more Eastern pain management including acupuncture and natural medicines,” she continued. “I can only assume that his former opioid dependence played a part in self-medicating from uncontrolled sources.”
Painter expressed her hope that David’s passing would raise awareness about the perils of pharmaceutical addiction and the fentanyl epidemic.
“David’s death shines a light on the countless innocent victims of pharmaceutical addiction and the fentanyl epidemic that has taken so many of our sons and daughters,” she added in the statement. “Please keep David, and others battling pain or dependence, in your thoughts and prayers.”
Gail’s sister, Kathryn Gail, initially shared the news of his demise on Instagram on January 20, describing him as her “best friend” and “an amazing, fierce human being.”
“There’s barely been even a day in my life when you were not with me by my side, always my wingman, always my best friend, ready to face anything and anyone with me,” Kathryn wrote alongside a photo of the siblings hugging.
Painter later released a statement regarding her son’s passing as she expressed gratitude towards fans for their condolence messages.
“We are extremely touched by the outpouring of love from David’s dedicated fans and colleagues,” she said. “We are grateful for all the support received during this very difficult time.”
David, a Florida native, embarked on his acting journey in the early 1990s with appearances in shows like Growing Pains and Doogie Howser, M.D., as documented on his IMDb page. He portrayed Stuart Carson, the fiancé of Shannen Doherty’s character Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210, and Dean Collins in Savannah.
From 1999 to 2000, he graced the screen as Dr. Joe Scanlon in over 200 episodes of the General Hospital spinoff Port Charles.
Gail leaves behind his mother, sister, and son, Guthier.