Christopher Ayres Cause of Death: 'Dragon Ball' Voice Actor Died Because Of Lung Disease?

Famous for being the voice actor behind Dragon Ball Z's Frieza, Christopher Ayres died at the age of 56.

Krystal LaPorte, Ayre's longtime girlfriend, was the first one to reveal his death as she tweeted a collection of sweet photos of them on Twitter. She also attached a long note regarding her special one as she admitted that his passing happened on October 18, Monday at 8:40pm.

In the letter, the 29-year-old, also a voice actor, never disclosed his cause of death. However, Deadline reported that Ayres was diagnosed with cardiac obstructive pulmonary disease in 2017, which he often documented on social media.

Rest In Peace, Ayres

On the said post made by LaPorte, she started the tribute to her beloved, saying, "My world went dark. Christopher Owen Ayres passed away peacefully, held close by his mother, brother, and girlfriend."

"To those of you who truly loved him back, thank you. To those of you who stayed in touch, checked on him, reminded him that he was so, so much more than his job," she also added. "You were the fuel of his fight."

 Aside from becoming Frieza in the 2010 "Dragon Ball Z Kai" animated series, the Virginian-born voice actor also became Kei Kurono and Prince Soma from the manga series "Gantz" and "Black Butler," per The Sun.

LaPorte concluded her message by stating, "I hope that wherever you are, the first thing you did was take a long, deep breath with your perfect lungs and danced again. I hope you saw a lot of people and animals that I know you missed so deeply."

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Fellow voice actors and anime fans filled numerous social media with tributes as news of Ayres' death emerged.

Co-star in Dragon Ball and voice director Christopher Sabat posted his message and said, "The anime industry lost a living angel today. It's impossible to describe how pure Chris Ayres was, and his dedication to his craft was unmatched.

"Knowing Chris, he's still at the gates of Other World, explaining something clever to the maître d'. RIP Frieza," he finished.

Toei Animation, a Japanese animation studio that produced numerous animation series, including Dragon Ball, also left a statement. "May you rest in peace Chris Ayres, a magnificent voice actor who brought many wonderful characters to life including our Frieza."

 
"You will always be remembered. Thank you for everything."

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