Former 'Eight Is Enough' child actor Adam Rich's cause of death was determined to be fentanyl

The effects of fentanyl are thought to be Adam Rich cause of deathThe child actor is known as “America's Little Brother” for his role in the hit family drama “Eight is Enough.”

The former TV star's death, who passed away in January, was ruled an accident by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, according to an autopsy report. Rich died at the age of 54 at his home in Los Angeles.

His stardom came at just eight years old, as the mop-clad son raised by a widowed newspaper columnist played by Dick Van Patten on ABC's “Eight Is Enough.” He went on to appear in other shows such as “Code Red” and “Dungeons & Dragons” in the 1980s. He also appeared in one-off episodes of popular shows such as “Baywatch'' and “The Love Boat,'' and reprized his role in “Eight Is Enough'' in two TV movie reunions.

Rich had numerous run-ins with police related to drug and alcohol use. He was arrested in April 1991 on suspicion of attempting to break into a pharmacy, and again in October of the same year on suspicion of stealing a syringe containing medication from a hospital while he was being treated for a dislocated shoulder. His first DUI arrest occurred in 2002 after he crashed into a parked California Highway Patrol cruiser in a closed lane on a freeway.

In the months before his death, Rich had spoken publicly about his experiences with depression and substance abuse. He tweeted in October that he had been sober for seven years after his arrest, multiple trips to rehab and multiple overdoses. He called on believers to never give up.

When Rich died in January, his publicist Danny Delaney said he was suffering from a form of depression that was resistant to treatment. Delaney said he was trying to break down the stigma of talking about mental illness and was exploring experimental treatments to treat depression.

“He was a very kind, generous and loving person,” Delaney said in a statement. “Being a famous actor wasn't necessarily what he wanted to be. … He didn't have an ego. Not one ounce of it.”