Storage Wars' René Nezhoda speaks out about Darrell Sheets' death and slams ‘cyberbully’ that 'tormented' him
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Mental Health
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Mental Health
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Storage Wars star René Nezhoda has broken his silence to pay tribute to his late co-star Darrell Sheets, while also shedding light on a troubling detail in his final days.
Sheets, 67, was found dead at his home on Wednesday (April 22) after suffering from what appeared to be a single, self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
In an Instagram post shortly after the news broke, Nezhoda expressed his deep sadness at the news, while also discussing the relationship he had shared with his on-screen rival.
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“This was not an easy video to shoot. Unfortunately, Darrell Sheets took his own life. So he passed away,” Nezhoda began.
“I know a lot of you guys think we hated each other because we competed a lot on the show. And you know, we had our moments. We had our run-ins because we were both competitors, right?
"We were both competitors with the biggest threat out there.”
Although the pair were clear rivals on screen, Nezhoda was quick to reiterate how they were firm friends off-screen and how upsetting his loss had come to be for the people that knew him best.
“So deep down me and Darrell were friends, we talked every now and then," he explained.
"He was a very hard worker that cared more than anyone I’ve ever met about their family, about his son, about Zoie [his granddaughter], pretty much [all the] people in his life.”
In the same post, Nezhoda also went on to allege that Sheets had been battling a cruel cyberbully in the weeks leading up to his death, as he urged people to be held accountable for their actions.
“Rest in peace Darrell Sheets. Also I know Darrell would want something positive out of this, so he had a guy that [was] really really tormenting him lately. Cyberbullying,” he said.
“Guys, just because you watch us on television, doesn’t mean you know us," Nezhoda continued.
"It doesn’t mean you know what we’re about. Also, it doesn’t entitle you to bully somebody. That’s not [just] us, that’s anybody. That’s any athlete. You shouldn’t cyberbully at all.”
“As a matter of fact, if you have somebody in your life that thinks it’s funny to cyberbully other people, may that be a celebrity, athlete or little girl at school… slap ’em in the back of the head. Make them become a better human being.”
In his concluding words, Nezhoda described the hidden struggles so many people face that go unnoticed, while also indicating that he ‘highly’ encouraged authorities to investigate the matter.
“You never know what demons somebody faces and what they go through and what you might push them through," he concluded.
"Darrell has been posting a lot about the guy that has been cyberbullying and torturing him and I really hope they look into that guy and that’s just not a pass. It’s just not right guys. Be better.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.