The Tragic Death Of Darren Criss' Brother

On March 2, Darren Criss shocked his fans with a devastating and beautiful tribute, following the sudden death of his brother, musician Charles Criss. Darren posted a lengthy statement to his Instagram informing fans of the loss. Charles, or Chuck as Darren calls him, died in February at the age of 36, though the exact date is unknown.

Darren described a close, loving, and collaborative relationship between himself and his older brother in his post. Darren, who starred in "Glee" and has performed on Broadway, released an EP with Charles in 2017 for their band Computer Games, per Us Weekly. Darren shared select photos of Charles over the years on Instagram. Chief among them were photos of himself and Charles as children, and photos of Charles with his son and daughter.

In addition to the sweet photos Darren wrote at length about the tragedy. The former Glee star divulged that Charles died by suicide. He urged readers to get help if they were facing similar issues, but was adamant that Charles be remembered for more than his untimely death.

When informing the public of his older brother Charles Criss' death, Darren Criss reflected on the loss and the beautiful life Charles left behind. "Obviously this is a colossal shock. His loss leaves behind a debilitating fracture in the lives of his mother, his brother, his three small children, and their respective mothers," he wrote. "I have spent what feels like a small eternity trying to wrap my head around it."

Based on Darren's post, Charles sounds like a devoted and loving individual, whose untimely death created a loss that was hard to comprehend. "I loved my brother so much. And I know he loved me. Right out of the womb, he was my instant, ready-made best friend. And from that moment on, we absolutely loved being together." he wrote. Darren also mentioned Charles' musical talent, which he said continually inspired him. "His impressive skills as a musician mixed with his poetic observation of the world yielded a prolific amount of music that was endlessly unique, clever, fun, intriguing and beautiful to me ... A fitting metaphor for his very soul."

Darren concluded the statement by reminding his fans that though Charles' death and battle with depression did happen, they were not defining traits: "While it was a lapse in Chuck's mental wellness that took him, it is simply not something that can define who he was."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.