Austin Majors' cause of death revealed: 'NYPD Blue' child actor dead at 27

It happened in February and left the entertainment industry in shock. Austin Majors, a prolific child actor during the first decade of the 21st century, passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 27.

The actor was best known for his role as Theo Sipowicz in 'NYPD Blue'. He passed away on February 11 in Los Angeles, California. The terrible news was confirmed by his sister Kali on Facebook.

"Austin was the kind of son, brother, grandson, and nephew that made us proud and we will miss him deeply forever," the family said in a statement to Deadline.

According to media outlets such as Variety, the young actor wasn't doing very well at the end of his life. He was living in a homeless shelter in Los Angeles.

In the months after his demise, the actor's cause of death was not revealed, pending the result of the coroner's autopsy.

However, Deadline immediately pointed to a fentanyl overdose as the possible cause of Austin Majors' death. And now, months later, TMZ has confirmed that fentanyl indeed cost the actor his life.

Majors was described as “a loving, artistic, brilliant, and kind human being... Austin took great joy and pride in his acting career. From the time he was little, he never knew a stranger and his goal in life was to make people happy.," his family said in a statement picked up by Deadline.

"He graduated Salutatorian in High School while being an active Eagle Scout and member of the community. He went on to graduate from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with a passion of directing and music producing", the statement continued.

His most relevant role was playing Theo Sipowicz in 'NYPD Blue'. He worked for 48 episodes, between 1999 and 2004.

Austin Majors was the son of the lead character, Detective Andy Sipowicz, played by legendary actor Dennis Franz.

His role had such a great impact - it led him to win the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Television Series.

The controversial scene in 'NYPD Blue' in which Austin Majors' character enters the bathroom and finds Charlotte Ross (pictured), who played detective Connie McDowell, about to take a shower, was much talked about.

The scene generated tremendous controversy and ABC received multiple complaints from viewers and associations. They ended up with a fine of 1.4 million dollars from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).

In addition to 'NYPD Blue', Austin Majors had roles in well-known series such as 'E.R.', 'NCIS' and 'Desperate Housewives'.

Sadly for the actor, after his last appearance on television, in 'How I Met Your Mother' back in 2009, Austin Majors did not return to an acting role. It was the beginning of his tragic demise.