According to Dow’s longtime girlfriend Jodi Twersky, he was still alive as of 3:30 p.m. ET, when she spoke to Dow’s wife, Lauren Dow.
Lauren Dow told Twersky that he is still breathing and receiving hospice care. Twersky told CNN that Dow was not clear what happened to the statement released by her husband’s management team earlier today.
Dow was propelled to stardom at the age of twelve, when he was cast in the soon-to-be crush sitcom “Leave It to Beaver.” In this role, Dow helped create the archetype of a suburban nuclear family and became a household name to millions of viewers. The show ran from 1957 to 1963.
He said, “My life is gone.”
Wally Cleaver, the straight-arrow teen son, sports star and boy scout, became closely associated with Dow, who said he struggled to stand alone.
“It’s sad to be famous at the age of 12 or so, and then you grow up and be a real person, and nothing happens to you,” he told CBS.
Dow, who said he struggled with undiagnosed depression from ages 20 to 40, has spoken for decades about his mental health challenges, long before celebrities shared this information publicly. In 1993, he was Honorary Speaker at a conference of the National Depression and Bipolar Society.
Dow told CBS that once his diagnosis was accepted and treatment started, he found hope. He channeled that hope into art, too, sculpting ornate pieces in his studio.
“I think people should take a leap of faith in order to feel better,” he said.
Dow continued to work in Hollywood, starring in television series and reprising his role in “The New Leave It to Beaver” in the 1980s. He also directed episodes of series such as “Harry and the Hendersons”, “Coach” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”.
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