Cause of Death Revealed for Child Star From ALF

UPDATE Sep 14, 2024 7:00 AM CDT

A cause of death has been revealed for Benji Gregory, the ALF child star who died in June at the age of 46. According to the medical examiner in Arizona's Maricopa County, Gregory, who played Brian Tanner in the '80s sitcom, died an accidental death, due to "environmental heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis," reports People. As TMZ explains it, "Basically, the hot Arizona sun led to BG's death ... but, he also had scarring of the liver caused by long-term damage to the organ." That outlet notes it's not clear what caused Gregory's cirrhosis.

Jul 11, 2024 7:49 AM CDT

A child TV star from the 1980s has died. Benji Gregory, who starred in the 1980s hit ALF, was 46, reports People. Gregory was found dead in his car in a bank parking lot in Peoria, Arizona, and his sister writes on Facebook that she believes he died of heatstroke in the vehicle. His service dog also died in the car. Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger, his sister, tells TMZ that her brother suffered from bipolar disorder as well as a sleeping disorder that sometimes kept him up for days at a time.

Gregory—born Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg in Los Angeles—was 8 years old when the sitcom about an alien debuted in 1986, per the New York Times. He portrayed Brian Tanner on the hit show through its four seasons. (Check out a scene here.) Gregory also appeared in other shows of the era such as the A-Team, Punky Brewster, and Amazing Stories. Film credits included roles in Jumpin' Jack Flash in 1986 and the animated Once Upon a Forest in 1993. Gregory eventually left acting and became an aerographer's mate in the Navy in 2004, per the Times. (Read other notable obituaries.)