'Chernobyl Diaries' actor Dimitri Diatchenko, who was charged with skinning and eating ex's rabbit, dies at 52
Actor Dimitri Diatchenko, who was also known for his work in voiceovers and music, has passed away at the age of 52. The 'Chernobyl Diaries' actor was found in his Daytona Beach, Florida home earlier this week, as shared by his rep.
"This one just crushed us. We're all in a state of shock right now," Fox News quoted his rep as saying. According to TMZ, after not hearing from Diatchenko for a while, his family requested the police for a wellness check on Wednesday, which is when the body was found. The outlet has since reported that his brother spoke to them and "the family believes Dimitri died late Monday night or early Tuesday morning." His brother also confirmed that Diatchemko's death is most likely not related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, neither is there foul play involved. The rep's statement claims his death appears to "be either a heart attack or related to being shocked by 220v [volts] of electricity," which is likely from his job a week ago.
“Actor, voiceover artist and musician Dimitri Diatchenko passed away suddenly on April 21, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Florida," shares the statement. "Furthering autopsy results, it appeared to be either a heart attack or related to being shocked by 220v of electricity while on the job the week prior." It continues: "Dimitri was a first-generation American of Ukrainian, Greek and Swedish descent. He became a familiar face in the homes of many by landing Guest Starring and Recurring roles on the series ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ ‘Bones,’ ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ ‘2 Broke Girls,’ ‘Criminal Minds’ and more."
According to sources close to the late actor, his death comes as a shock as he was healthy and in good shape. Fox News reports that just this week, he had sent in audition tapes for a guest role on the hit CBS procedural franchise NCIS, which went 'really well'. However, this comes after Diatchenko made headlines back in 2014 when he was charged with animal cruelty for killing and eating his ex-girlfriend's pet rabbit. He had then allegedly sent graphic photos of the same to the woman, and as reported by The Wrap, he had pleaded no contest to animal cruelty and was ordered to probation, community labor and animal cruelty counseling.
Before all of that, Diatchenko had made appearances in 'Sons of Anarchy', 'Get Smart', 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull', and the 2012 movie 'Chernobyl Diaries', where he played Uri. His voice acting list includes 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', 'Family Guy', and 'The Wild Thornberries.' Diatchenko also had a bachelor's degree in music from Stetson University, and a Master of Music from Florida State University. “As a soloist, Diatchenko released four guitar albums. Mel Bay Publications published his piece, ‘Tango en Paraiso’ in ‘Master Anthology of New Classic Guitar Solos, Vol. 1,'" the statement by his rep noted.