Anton Yelchin Was Hiding A Life-Threatening Illness Before His Death

This really brings the heartbreak back all over again…

The world was shocked at the tragic and random death of Anton Yelchin in the Summer of 2016.

For those who don’t recall, the Star Trek actor was killed when his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards on its own. Authorities believe the cause of the accident was the actor mistaking the vehicle for being in Park rather than Neutral and getting out, possibly to check the mail. He was reportedly killed almost instantly from “blunt traumatic asphyxia” as he was pinned between the jeep and the security gate in front of his driveway.

While that horrifying confluence of events stole the talented star from us far too soon, we’re now learning we may never have had as long with Anton as we thought.

In the new documentary about Anton’s life, Love, Antosha, his secret illness has finally been made public.

Director Garret Price was brought in to put the film together after Like Crazy director Drake Doremus realized he was too emotionally connected to the project and decided to produce instead.

Because Price didn’t know Anton, he was surprised at a lot of what he learned while making the film — first and foremost the diagnosis he was keeping secret. He told Fox News:

“The first thing that surprised me was his chronic illness, which he was secretly dealing with throughout his career. And that in itself was totally admirable. No one knew about it. Even some of his closest friends didn’t know about it until he passed away…”

The illness from which Anton was suffering was cystic fibrosis.

The degenerative hereditary disorder causes damage to the lungs, digestive system, and other organs. According to the Mayo Clinic, people with CF often have very short lifespans, often only living into their mid- to late 30s.

Anton was just 27 when he died.

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Price says the acclaimed actor chose not to reveal his illness because he “didn’t want people to feel sorry for him” — something which is hitting home for many who suffer from the disorder:

“I’ve had CF patients come to see the film at screenings and they leave so inspired by his story. That’s where it gets really emotional for me, talking to those people. I can’t help by think, ‘Thank God somebody like him existed.’ He proved that you can have a life, be optimistic and push forward with this disease. It’s not an end-all. That’s how Anton addressed the disease. It wasn’t a crutch. He didn’t even tell anybody. He wasn’t going to let it hold him back. He also didn’t want people to feel sorry for him.”

Throughout the film, the late star’s friends and costars, including Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, and J.J. Abrams talk about the brilliant and talented young man they knew, not about how brave he was. So we guess it worked.

See the moving trailer for the film (below):