UPDATE (8/4/2020, 5:08 PM EST): HollywoodLife has obtained Ryan Breaux’s official cause of death from the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, which stated that Frank Ocean’s little brother was a passenger in the car that his friend Ezekial Bishop was driving. “The car crashed into a tree along along Westlake Boulevard at high speed and both victims died from blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing will be performed on both victims,” the report stated.
ORIGINAL: Our hearts go out to Frank Ocean, 32, who lost his younger brother Ryan Breaux in a car crash this past weekend. Ryan and friend Ezekial “Zeek” Bishop were both killed in the fatal accident during the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 2. The crash took place around 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of Skelton Canyon and Westlake Boulevard in Thousand Oaks, California, according to a police report obtained by HollywoodLife. The vehicle collided with a tree, according to the report, which split the car in half as it proceeded to become engulfed in flames. While police have yet to name the victims of the crash, their school (Oaks Christian School) gave an official statement to HollywoodLife and confirmed their identities. Both Ryan and Zeek were pronounced dead on the scene.
Following Ryan’s death, Oaks Christian School released the following statement to HollywoodLife: “It is with much sadness that Oaks Christian confirms the loss of two graduates from our Class of 2019. As the media has already reported Ezekial “Zeek” Bishop and Ryan Moore Breaux lost their lives in a car accident in Westlake Village early Sunday morning. The school community, through faculty, staff and leadership, has reached out to the families of both Zeke and Ryan to express our heartache and grief, pray with them and embrace them with love and compassion. We ask that our community join us in lifting these families up in prayer as they grieve the loss of these very special two young men.”
A memorial was held on Sunday night (Aug. 2) for Ryan and Zeek in Westlake Village, according to CBS Los Angeles. As seen in a photo from the vigil, friends, who were pictured wearing face masks, gathered near the crash site. Pictured alongside a tree were bouquets of flowers and a single balloon. Learn more about Ryan, who lost his life way too soon, below.
1. He’s Frank Ocean’s brother. Frank’s mom Katonya Breaux was parent to Frank (née Christopher Edwin Breaux), Ryan and their sister Ashley “Nikkii” Ellison. All three siblings hail from Long Beach, California. Frank broke into the music scene with his 2011 mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, followed by his first album Channel Orange in 2012. The critically-acclaimed project won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2013 GRAMMY Awards, as well earning nominations for Album of the Year and Record of the Year with “Thinkin Bout You.” More recently, Frank dropped a beautiful cover of “Moon River.”
2. Ryan’s friends mourned him on social media. Friends of Ryan flocked to his most recent social media post, which shows him inside a car. “S— crazy bro, rest easy,” user @58robbie sadly wrote, while Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee‘s son Brandon, 24, wrote “You gave us all love and laughter brother. Love you forever. I hope I get to see you again one day.” Others added, “You’ll be missed lil bro,” and “Rest In Peace Ryan.” Ryan’s close friend Paris Brosnan, 19, son of Pierce Brosnan, also posted an emotional tribute to his own page. “To my brother, who was talented beyond belief, possessed a heart of gold, had an energy that was infectious, a smile & laugh that lifted everyone’s spirit, and was a loyal and authentic friend to anyone he knew. You were just getting started and ready to show the world who you were,” Paris penned.
“You were a leader and you had a whole army of loyal soldiers behind you. Thank you for being there for me when I needed you most, thank you for all the wild nights, thank you for your music and all the late night studio sessions with Fray, thank you for blessing us ALL with your presence on this earth,” the model added, concluding, “I will carry you in my heart always. Until I see you again brother. Ryan Breaux forever & Zeek Bishop forever.”
3. Fans believe Frank’s song “Orion” is about Ryan. While Frank has not confirmed Ryan inspired the sweet tune, the lyrics speak about remembering when someone close to him was born. “I remember when you were born/Ohh, how happy I was/cause If it didn’t go as I planned it,” Frank croons on his 2011 mixtape Lonny Breaux. “At least you’d double my chances… But promise big bro one thing, That you won’t go wasting time/ won’t go wasting time/ (no) that you won’t go wasting time/ Won’t go wasting time/Don’t go wasting it,” he also sings.
4. He was his brother’s biggest fan. In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Frank and Ryan’s mother Katonya gushed about Ryan’s love for Frank and his music. “I would definitely.. so… well, maybe Ryan,” she spilled when asked if she was his biggest fan. “Ryan will put those songs on repeat 50 times a day. I would definitely say Ryan, and I’m number two,” she sweetly added.
5. He had a close relationship with his mom. “It’s interesting because I’m a different mom to Ryan than I was with Chris [Frank Ocean]. I was young—I was 21 when I had Chris,” Katonya also said to Billboard. “I would just say to treat them as humans and to understand. When we get caught up in the moment, we want them to hurry and sit up, or hurry up and talk, but the time goes by so fast so you really want to savor every moment. I know it sounds so trite, but it takes having a child and then having them become an adult to really realize how quickly it goes by,” she added.