The Death Of A Power Ranger

I grew up watching the Power Rangers. My favorite characters were Jason the red ranger and Tommy the green ranger. Looking back now, I think Tommy might have been my first celebrity crush, if not, one of my first celebrity crushes. It was around the same time I had a crush on Pavel Bure of the Vancouver Canucks. 

Jason David Frank was the longest running power ranger in the series. He wasn’t supposed to be on the show longer than a few episodes, but people loved him so he remained on the show. He played the love interest of Kimberly, the pink ranger and as the show got more popular, he grew up to become various colors of the power rangers. He was well known in the martial arts community and had his own studio.

As the years went by, Jason had struggled with his mental health. He lost his brother, Erik in 2001 at the age of 29. The cause of his death was largely believed to be some unspecified illness until 2025,  when Dark Side of Power Rangers, the third episode of Hollywood Demons, disclosed that Frank had committed suicide.

In 2022, Jason’s 26 year old, step daughter, Shayla died by suicide, which left Jason devastated. It was later said by his wife, that her passing left an impact on Jason and his mental health, which would have contributed to his own passing along with other factors like severe marital difficulties.

While on vacation with his wife, Tammie, Jason passed away by suicide in his hotel room. He was 49 years old. 

On November 19, 2022, Jason David Frank was found dead by suicide in a hotel in Houston, Texas. He was 49 years old. His wife Tammie, who was also staying at the hotel, subsequently explained that Frank had been struggling with depression and other mental health issues. The couple, who were in the middle of a divorce argued loudly and got separate rooms. Tammie stepped out of the Franks's room to go to the lobby for snacks to "help him relax and sober up before sleep". She was gone for approximately 10 minutes. Upon returning, she found the door locked and received no response to her repeated knocking. Hotel staff and law enforcement were called to the scene. Police gained entry to the room and they discovered the actor hanged himself in the bathroom.

Jason was a huge part of the 1990s and a huge part of many childhoods. He meant a lot to so many people. He left his mark and an impact. I wish he knew how important he was to a whole generation.

Thank you for being part of my childhood and thank you for the memories, Jason.