How Did Clark Gable III Die?
He was only 30 years old.
Instagram On Friday, February 22nd tragic news broke that the grandson of Hollywood legend Clark Gable was found dead. Clark Gable III was found unresponsive Friday morning by his fiancé and transported to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, where he was pronounced dead. He was just 30 years old. The host of Cheaters had a long history of drug abuse and addiction. Cheaters is a hidden camera reality show about people suspected of cheating on their spouses. It began airing in 2000 and is currently in its 17th season. As host, Gable confronted people caught in the act of cheating and delivered the news on television. Prior to his untimely death, Gable had been filming the recently-wrapped crime drama Sunset at Dawn and had also recently finished the comedy-drama Heckle. Besides his parents Clark Gable II and mother Tracy Scheff, Gable II is survived by his fiancé Summer and their daughter, 18-month-old Shore LaRea Gable. How did Clark Gable III die?
1. Addiction issues
Clark Gable III's mother Tracy told the Daily Mail that her son struggled with drug addiction for years, but that the cause of his death was a mystery. He had no known health conditions. "I have no idea why he died or how he died. But through the years he has struggled with addiction. I don’t know if that took his life, but I know that wasn’t what he wanted to do," she said. His 56-year-old mother found out that her son was dead when his fiancé Summer, who he had been living with for six years, called her Friday morning in hysterics.
2. His ex-girlfriend
Gable's ex-girlfriend Heather Chadwell told Radar that he had lived through a tough battle against drug addiction. Chadwell said that she and Gable had been on and off for several years but also that her ex had a heart of gold. She said that during their relationship, Clark would disappear for days on end and that took a toll on their relationship. She admitted that she was also battling addiction issues and togehter with his, it was all just too much.
3. He was stabbed
According to his ex-girlfriend Heather Chadwell, shortly after they broke up, she got a call from a hospital sating that Clark had been stabbed in the lung. She said it was terrifying. “His lung got infected and collapsed. He had a surgery at the time and it was just so hard on him and It was hard to watch him suffer.”
4. His family
Clark Gable III's mom said that addiction runs in the family. Her marriage to Clark's dad ended over his addcition problems and her ex-husband's brother died from an overdose at 27. All three of Clark's siblings also have had or have issues with drugs. "My current husband, we’ve been together 27 years, and he’s 32 years sober. It’s a struggle that is real. I have four children, all of them have struggled. I have two younger boys with my current husband, Jason. I think one of them’s fine, he just likes to party, but the baby has struggled. He’s got a year sober, he’s 17 and doing great. I have a daughter that’s seven months pregnant. She’s doing great now, but she’s struggled too," Scheff said.
5. He was planning to make a documentary
At the time of his death, Clark Gable III was in pre production for a new season of Cheaters after the show took a two=year hiatus. He was also planning to make a documentary about his famous grandfather according to his mother and had a meeting with a producer in Los Angeles on Monday, February 25th. "He was working on doing a documentary on his grandfather. The producer was planning on coming here in three days to have a meeting. The documentary was going to be about finding out who Clark Gable was as a human being, rather than a movie star. There’s not that many people left from that era. I think they were just going to try and dig deep, see what they could find out about him." she said.
If you or anyone you know struggles with addiction, please call the drug and alcohol abuse hotline 24/7 at 1-888-506-0699.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.