Nick Cave has announced the death of his oldest son Jethro Lazenby. He was 31 years old.
The musician wrote in a brief statement released on Monday, “With much sadness, I can confirm that my son, Jethro, has passed away. We would be grateful for family privacy at this time.”
Lazenby was born in Australia in 1991 to Cave and his mother, model Beau Lazenby. Cave’s second son, Luke, with his first wife, Brazilian journalist Viviane Carneiro, was born just ten days later in Brazil. Lazenby grew up to become a model himself, walking the runway for major luxury brands including Balenciaga and Versace. He was also photographed by Celine creative director Hedi Slimane and worked on his own music projects as well. He also acted in a handful of films under the name “Jethro Cave,” including the 2007 movie Corroboree and 2011’s My Little Princess.
Lazenby’s death comes just days after he was released on bail from a Melbourne jail after admitting to attacking his mother last month. According to Metro, upon his release a judge ordered Lazenby to undergo substance abuse treatment and avoid contact with his mother for two years. The Independent also noted that at the time of his arrest last month, his representative Sean Ghattas told that outlet that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia which had affected his judgment. Lazenby was due to return to court on June 29 to be sentenced for the assault, as well as to face further charges regarding a theft from 7-Eleven.
Lazenby grew up in Australia and said in a 2012 interview with the Evening Standard that he didn’t have any relationship with his dad until he was already “about seven, eight” years old, adding, “It didn’t start off that great, having all this shit with my dad and being in his shadow.” The musician also admitted to a journalist 2008 that they had a slightly strained relationship at the start. “It was a difficult time, but it turned out great in the end,” Cave explained. “To my eternal regret, I didn’t make much contact with Jethro in the early years, but I now have a great relationship with him.”
This tragic news comes seven years after the passing of another of Cave’s sons, Arthur, who died in 2015 at age 15 after falling from a cliff in Brighton and suffering a fatal brain injury. Cave described his son in a statement at the time of his passing as a “beautiful, happy, loving boy.”