If you've ever seen the show Everybody Loves Raymond, you may or may not remember the Sweeten siblings, who played Ramano's kids in the popular sitcom. Even though the show ended 30 years ago, the cast members got together to celebrate its lasting legacy, which included a TV special that premiered on CBS on Monday. The cast got together to talk about their favorite memories from the show, but it was Ramano who asked for permission to talk about the good and the bad.
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Sawyer Sweeten, who played one of the twin boys on the show, died by suicide in 2015. He was just 19 years old. Romano described Sweeten as "a great kid" to be around. "Just a great energy whenever he was there," he told The New York Post. "My heart breaks for him, his family, and his friends during this very difficult time."
According to the Sullivan siblings, Sweeten's death came as rather unexpected. His older sister, Madylin, described him as more than just her little brother. To her, he was also a friend. "He was a strong and selfless friend," she shared with People in 2015. "When confiding in one another, Sawyer always had the kindest words of encouragement," she said. "He will live on in my head and those shared moments forever."
Sawyer is remembered by his brother Sullivan Sweeten, 30, and Madylin, 34.
The Sweetens Talk About Their Passion for Suicide Prevention
It's been about 10 years now since Sweeten passed away, and of course, his cast members couldn't walk down memory lane without acknowledging his role in the sitcom. It was actually Romano who asked if it would be okay to talk about his death and impact. Sweeten's brother, Sullivan, was talking about the memories he had playing tag in the prop room on set, many of which would have been with his brother.
It was then that Romano said, "Can we mention," and Madylin replied with "Sawyer? Yes."
Romano continued, saying, "So, Sawyer, of course, is no longer with us, and we miss him." Sullivan vulnerably shared, "None of us really expected what happened," said Sullivan, referring to his twin's tragic death. But I try to think about the good moments. And oftentimes, that's here on the set."
The siblings of the late child actor went on to talk about how passionate they are about suicide prevention, which is the second leading cause of death in people ages 18 to 25.
"We work with the national suicide prevention hotline, that's our main place," Madylin shared. "But people can grab a 'Sawyer' T-shirt," she added. "We do T-shirts every year, and all of the proceeds go there."
In her initial statement following Sawyer's death, she said, "I would like to encourage everyone to reach out to the ones you love. Let them have no doubt of what they mean to you."
