Johnny Lewis
Lewis at the 2007Tribeca Film Festival
Born	Jonathan Kendrick Lewis[1] (1983-10-29)October 29, 1983 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	September 26, 2012(2012-09-26) (aged 28) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2000–2012
Children	1

Jonathan Kendrick Lewis (October 29, 1983 – September 26, 2012), also credited asJohnny K. Lewis, was an American film and television actor. He was best known for playingKip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of theFX seriesSons of Anarchy, and for other television roles such as Gilby inThe Sausage Factory (2001–2002), Pearce Chase inQuintuplets (2004–2005) and Dennis "Chili" Childress inThe O.C. (2005–2006). Lewis also appeared in supporting roles in the filmsUnderclassman (2005),Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007),Felon (2008) andThe Runaways (2010).

After sustaininghead trauma from a motorcycle accident in 2011, Lewis was arrested three times between 2011 and 2012. In September 2012, he bludgeoned his landlady and her cat to death before falling off the roof of her house where he had been renting accommodation. He fell to his death in the process.^[2][3]

Johnny Lewis grew up in theLos Angeles neighborhoods ofNorth Hollywood andSherman Oaks. He was the middle child of Michael and Divona Lewis. Both parents were practicingScientologists, and Lewis himself was a Scientologist for most of his life. After finishing school, Lewis left home at the age of 18 to pursue an acting career.^[2]

Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens, with guest starring roles inBoston Public (2000),The Guardian (2001) andAmerican Dreams (2002), among others. He made his feature film debut in 2004, inNew Line Cinema'sRaise Your Voice, and followed that up withMiramax Films'Underclassman in 2005. He co-starred as Pearce Chase, one of five siblings on theFox seriesQuintuplets. Lewis alsoguest starred in four episodes of theNickelodeon television seriesDrake & Josh as Scottie, one of Drake's bandmates, and from 2005 to 2006 he playedDennis "Chili" Childress onThe O.C., another Fox series. He had a guest spot during thefifth season ofSmallville.

Lewis also starred in the filmMagic Valley (2011), which premiered at theTribeca Film Festival. He became well known for his role as prospect bikerKip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of theFX seriesSons of Anarchy.^[4]

Lewis dated American singerKaty Perry from 2005 to 2006.^[5] In mid-2009 he learned that he and his then-girlfriend, actress Diane Gaeta, were expecting their first child. The couple had split up by April 6, 2010, when the couple's daughter, Culla May, was born, but briefly attempted sharing a residence. Lewis eventually moved out, after which the couple engaged in a "long and painful" custody battle that Lewis ultimately lost.

Lewis was raised in a household that followed Scientology; his parents attained the highest available level within theChurch of Scientology, called "Operating Thetan Level VIII", or OT VIII.^[2] Lewis starred in Scientology training films and endorsed the Scientology drug rehabilitation groupNarconon.^[6][7] However, Lewis left Scientology in his early 20s.^[3]

Lewis was arrested three times between 2011 and 2012. In January 2012, he struck two men in the head with a bottle while engaged in a fight. He pleadedno contest to charges ofassault with a deadly weapon in the case.^[3] The second arrest came about six weeks after the first, with Lewis accused of attempting to break into a woman's home. He pleaded no contest in that case as well. Considering the cases, aprobation official expressed that he was "very concerned for the well-being of not only the community but that of the defendant", stating Lewis suffered from mental health issues as well as chemical dependency and that he would "continue to be a threat to any community he may reside in".^[3] Lewis was released from aLos Angeles County jail on September 21, 2012, five days before his death.^[3]

On October 30, 2011, Lewis suffered head injuries from a high-speed motorcycle accident. Though anMRI was recommended, and Lewis' father scheduled MRI tests twice, Lewis refused to take them. His father later stated that he "pursued and encouraged psychiatric treatment for his son. It was Johnny who refused to comply."^[2] Lewis started manifesting bizarre and illogical behavior from that point on and concurrent to his ensuing legal troubles. The criminal psychologist Lydia Benecke states that Lewis most likely suffered fromorganic personality disorder, which worsened due to continuing (often self inflicted) head injury after the accident.^[8]

Bill Jensen reported inLos Angeles magazine that Lewis' family and attorneys pushed for rehab formarijuana addiction to avoid trial. When counselors observing Lewis rejected this, they pursued rehab foralcoholism instead.^[2] In early August 2012, Lewis was well enough to be granted provisionalout-patient status after agreeing to be detained for "time served". He was assured that he would likely just spend a couple more days in jail; however, this turned into nearly two more months of detention, during which he suffered a severe downturn in health and spirits. Lewis was released from jail on September 21, 2012.^[2]

On September 26, 2012, at the age of 28, Lewis and his 81-year-old landlady, Catherine Davis, were both found dead at Davis' home in Los Angeles, California. Davis was known inHollywood circles for operating the Writers' Villa, a bed-and-breakfast for up-and-coming performers, directors and writers in her home. Lewis, who had previously lived there in 2009, had recently moved back in. Police were called by neighbors after Lewis violently attacked two people at the property next door, and Davis was heard screaming. Officers from theLos Angeles Police Department (LAPD) found Lewis' body on the home's driveway.^[9] Davis was found dead inside the house with severe head injuries; her pet cat was also found dead in the bathroom.

Neighbors reported that Lewis had jumped over a fence to the next-door property,assaulted a house painter and the homeowner (to whom Lewis had earlier introduced himself as "John, your new neighbor") and then jumped back over the fence onto Davis' property.^[2][9] According to the LAPD, Lewis then either fell or jumped from the roof, garage or patio of Davis' house.^{[9][10][11][12]} His death was investigated as a homicide, and it was later determined that he had killed Davis bymanual strangulation andblunt force trauma to her head.

Anautopsy report released on November 29, 2012, stated that Lewis did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system when he died.^[13] Toxicology reports came back negative for alcohol, marijuana,cocaine,psychedelic drugs oranti-psychotic medication.^[13] There was no indication that Lewis had been pushed or that he jumped from the roof in an act ofsuicide. His death was ruled accidental.^[13]

Lewis' family has spoken out about his history of untreated head trauma, leading some to speculate that he developed apsychological disorder, which led to his sudden spurts of violence.^[2]Sons of Anarchy creatorKurt Sutter tweeted about his death: "It was a tragic end for an extremely talented guy, who unfortunately had lost his way. I wish I could say that I was shocked by the events last night, but I was not. I am deeply sorry that an innocent life had to be thrown into his destructive path. Yes, it's a day of mourning, but it's also a day of awareness and gratitude. Sadly, some of us carry the message by dying."^[14]

https://edmontonjournal.remembering.ca/obituary/divona-lewis-1077695715/?proxy=original

• Johnny Lewis atIMDb

• 1983 births
• 2012 deaths
• 21st-century American male actors
• Accidental deaths from falls
• Accidental deaths in California
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• 21st-century American murderers
• American former Scientologists
• Jewish American male actors
• Male actors from Los Angeles
• American people convicted of assault

• CS1 German-language sources (de)
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