14 DAY TRIAL // Actor Lee Thompson Young, who shot to fame on The Disney Channel’s “The Famous Jett Jackson” and was one of the stars on TNT’s “Rizzoli & Isles,” killed himself at the weekend. Sources say that he was very depressed.
They also note that a possible link exists between his death and the fact that he practiced Yoruba, E! News reports.
As per the insiders, Young “didn’t drink or party” and was very spiritual. He was exactly the opposite of the showbiz type and did not like to draw any kind of attention to himself even though he practically grew up in the spotlight.
“Lee loved to travel and was always the first to tell everyone to take a breath and enjoy the beauty of life,” a spy says, adding that the 29-year-old actor was always “gentle and unassuming.”
He was close to this family but, over in LA, he was mostly surrounded by industry people.
“That said, those close to Young noticed things ‘really changed’ a few years ago when he began practicing Yoruba, an Africa-based religion which has a saying, ‘iku ya j'esin,’ meaning ‘death is preferable to ignominy.’ Some have questioned whether this means that suicide is an acceptable way to preserve personal or family honor in the face of public shame,” E! writes.
Priest Araba Ifayemi Osundagbonu Elebuibon tells the publication that this interpretation is incorrect , since Yoruba actually says that those who take their own life will be punished in the afterlife.
Nonetheless, insiders are convinced the connection exists.
“[He] took [his religion] to the next level and started wearing white all of the time. This religion was everything to him,” says one such source.
“Although he reportedly took a break from practicing Yoruba, he recently returned to the religion. Just before his death, he visited a small village in Africa for something reportedly related to the religion,” the celebrity publication adds.
Young’s body was discovered on Monday in his apartment, after producers of “Rizzoli & Isles” called his landlord because he hadn’t shown up for work. He had shot himself.