Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Nicholas Brendon allegedly left “everything” he owned to his twin brother, Kelton Donovan Schultz, following his death in March.
According to legal documents filed by Kelton, 55, on Monday, June 15, and obtained by Us Weekly, an alleged handwritten will was drafted by Brendon prior to his death at age 54.
The alleged will, included in Kelton’s filing, captures text on a piece of paper that reads, “My will. Sarah gets nothing. Kel gets everything. He can figure it out.” The docs state that ex-girlfriend Sarah Marker is one of four potential beneficiaries of the estate along with Brendon’s parents, Robert and Kathleen Schultz, and Kelton.
The late actor did not have a spouse or children, and the docs confirm that there is no current estimate regarding the value of Brendon’s estate. The docs also show that Robert and Kathleen both declined to “act as administrator” of Brendon’s estate, both nominating Kelton instead.
Brendon’s family confirmed his death to Us in a March 20 statement, noting that he died in his sleep. “We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” the statement read. “Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years.”
The statement continued, “He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.”
The following month, Us confirmed via an autopsy report that Brendon’s cause of death was determined as atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with acute pneumonia and previous myocardial infarction (heart attack) as contributing factors. (Mayo Clinic states that atherosclerosis occurs when fat, cholesterol and other substances build up on the artery walls, causing them to narrow and lock blood flow. Acute pneumonia is a sudden-onset infection that causes “respiratory symptoms and signs,” per the National Library of Medicine.)
Brendon was best known for portraying Xander Harris during all seven seasons of Buffy, which premiered on The WB in 1997 before moving to UPN for its final two seasons until 2003.
In 2023, Brendon publicly revealed that he had suffered a heart attack one year prior and that he had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. Amid facing multiple legal charges, including felony domestic violence and public intoxication over the years, in addition to being booked into jail multiple times, Brendon also underwent several spinal surgeries before his death.
He also suffered from ongoing emotional turmoil, as detailed via an Instagram post in April 2023. “Sorry for the extra long disappearing act. After two spinal surgeries and a heart attack, I’ve had multiple doctor appointments to juggle and dealing with health insurance and pre-approvals feels nearly as emotionally exhausting and painful as dealing with my actual injuries,” he wrote at the time.
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