Demian Bichir's wife Stefanie Sherk drowned in pool, death ruled as suicide
Just a day after actor Demian Bichir posted the news of his wife, Canadian model Stefanie Sherk's, death on Instagram, reports revealed she was found weighed down at the bottom of the swimming pool of their home, by Bichir. A coroner ruled her death as a suicide.
Sherk passed away at the age of 43 on Saturday, April 20, after police were called to the family's Sherman Oaks home on April 12, as per reports by The Blast. Law enforcement told the publication Sherk was found by her husband after he returned from grocery shopping.
The Blast reported that Bichir and another family member had called paramedics right away, who had been able to resuscitate Sherk at the time before transporting her to a local hospital. Sherk spent the next 8 days in the hospital, before passing away on April 20. Certain outlets reported that Sherk was 37 at the time of passing, but official records revealed she was 43.
On the following Thursday, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled her death suicide by anoxic encephalopathy, where the brain tissue is deprived of oxygen, asphyxia, and drowning. DailyMail reported that an LAPD spokesman confirmed to them the police had been called to an address in Sherman Oaks at 7:28 p.m on April 12 with reports of a possible drowning.
55-year-old Bichir revealed the passing of his wife in an Instagram post Wednesday, where he paid tribute to the "beautiful, angelical and talented" soul. The actor did not reveal the cause of her death in the Instagram post but announced with "inconceivable pain" that the former model had died "peacefully" on April 20.
Alongside a photo of Sherk, Bichir's caption for the post read: "Dear friends, On behalf of the Sherk and the Bichir Nájera families, it is with inconceivable pain that I announce that on April 20, 2019, our dearest Stefanie Sherk, my beloved and loving wife, passed away peacefully. It has been the saddest and toughest time of our lives and we don’t know how much time it will take for us to overcome this pain. Stefanie’s beautiful, angelical and talented presence will be immensely missed. We will hold Stefanie in our hearts forever. We thank everybody beforehand for their prayers and we respectfully ask for your understanding so we may grieve in peace and privacy in these incredibly difficult times. It is our sincerest hope that our beautiful Stefanie, my angel and love of my life, will rest in eternal peace."
The actor also proceeded to repeat the message in Spanish, where he requested his fans and followers to be respectful in this difficult time of mourning. Celebrities like Diane Kruger, Richard E. Grant, and Arielle Kebbel poured in with condolences and paid tribute to the departed soul within the comments section of the post. Kruger wrote: "Oh Demian, I’m so sorry I had no idea. I’m sending you so much love in this difficult time ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️", while Grant commented with a series of the broken heart emojis. Kebbel wrote: "Sending so much love to you and your family. I will continue to pray for you all during this difficult time. ❤️"
Actor Bryan Craig also added: "This will be in my prayers Demian, I’m so sorry." He was followed by 'Grand Hotel' actress Justina Adorno, who wrote: "I’m so sorry, you’re in my thoughts and I’m sending all the love to you and your families." Yvette Monreal wrote: "Demian I am so sorry, my prayers are with you Rest in Pease to your beloved wife."
Bichir and Sherk began dating in the year 2011 and do not share any children together. Bichir's daughter, Gala, born in the same year, is from a previous relationship.
Sherk, who was born in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada, had a wide range of acting credits to her name, from Bichir's directorial debut 'Un Cuento de Circo & A Love Song' to other films like 'Star Power', 'Valentine's Day' and 'Loco Love.' Sherk's most popular work was her role in the 2015 TV show '#Hashtag: The Series', where she played the role of tech-obsessed teen.