Michael Madsen
, best known for his scene-stealing roles in films like
Kill Bill
and
Reservoir Dogs
, was found unresponsive inside his Malibu home on July 3.
The actor was pronounced dead at the scene, with the cause of death cited as cardiac arrest by officials.
His team released a statement revealing that Michael had a slew of projects lined
up before his passing,
and had been excited to release his new book.
“In the last two
years
Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film
including
upcoming feature films
Resurrection Road, Concessions
and
Cookbook for Southern Housewives
, and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life,” his managers Susan Ferris and Ron Smith, and publicist Liz Rodriguez said.
“Michael was also preparing to release a new book called
Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,
currently being edited.”
They added: “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”
A blended family
Michael left behind his beloved children, whom he was incredibly close
to
.
He welcomed his first child, Jessica, with his girlfriend Dana Mechling in 1979; after their split, he was
then
married Georganne LaPiere, Cher’s half-sister, from 1984 until 1988.
The Hateful Eight
star then wed Jeannine Bisignano in 1991 and welcomed sons Christian and Max with her before their 1995 split.
His third wife is DeAnna Morgan, whom he was married
to
for 28 years before
he filed
for divorce in 2024, citing irreconcilable differences.
The pair had three sons together: Luke, Kalvin and Hudson.
Rest in peace
Tragically, Hudson died by suicide in January 2022, which rocked the family to their very core.
The actor opened up in 2024 about the deep well of grief he felt after losing Hudson and denied claims of a rift in their
family,
following allegations made in court that his estranged wife had neglected their son.
“To whom it may concern, A few recent articles have suggested my disillusionment with my marriage and a dark connection between my wife and the loss of our son,” he wrote on social media. “I was not the writer of this story and wish my wife no harm or embarrassment.”
“Losing a child is the hardest and most painful experience that can happen in this world,” he added.
“I deeply apologize for not correcting this earlier
but
I love my wife and our other
4
children and have no desire for divorce or blame. She had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to our son. It was a horrible loss and choice that
was made
for reasons that truly cannot ever be known because the person is gone.”
Family ties
While little
is known
about his eldest child
Jessica
, Christian was a successful actor
and
appeared in projects like
Divergent, Palo Alto
and
The Other Side of Fortune
before pivoting to real estate.
He has also written a poetry book
,
To the Torches.
Max is also an actor and will appear in the upcoming film
Concessions
, starring his late father.
Hudson was a US Army sergeant who had served in
Afghanistan
before his tragic death in 2022.
Kalvin is an actor and
producer,
whose
last
credit was in
Spirit Riser
in 2024.
Luke is incredibly close to his
brothers and graduated high school in 2024, cheered on by his parents in a sweet Instagram post.
Michael was a proud father and
shared
in 2018 that his family life dictated which roles he would take,
no matter
how they impacted his career.
“Sometimes people forget that sometimes you have to pay the mortgage, sometimes you have to put your kids through school,” he told
The Hollywood Reporter
. “You can’t always pick the greatest script. And you pick a project you probably shouldn’t be involved in
and
then you have to live with it all your life.”
A touching tribute
The 67-year-old hails from an industry family of his own; his mother is filmmaker and poet Elaine Madsen, while his sister is Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen.
She released an emotional statement to
Variety
after his passing, reminiscing on their shared childhood and close bond.
“My brother Michael has left the stage,” she said. “He was thunder and velvet. Mischief wrapped in tenderness. A poet disguised as an outlaw. A father, a son, a brother — etched in contradiction, tempered by love that left its mark.”
“We’re not mourning a public figure. We’re not mourning a myth — but flesh and blood and ferocious heart,”
she
continued. “Who stormed through life loud, brilliant, and half on fire. Who leaves us echoes — gruff, brilliant, unrepeatable — half legend, half lullaby.”
“I’ll miss our inside jokes, the sudden laughter, the sound of him. I’ll miss the boy he was before the legend; I miss my big brother.
Thank you to everyone
reaching
out with love and
memory
.
In time, we’ll share how we plan to celebrate his life — but for now, we stay
close,
and let the silence say what words can’t,” she concluded.
Please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
if you need support.
Join HELLO! as we pay tribute to the movie stars who were gone too soon…
