The cause of death is listed as suicide by hanging on July 1, according to the coroner’s website.
The actress, who gained fame through sketch comedy and celebrity impressions on YouTube via her page Little Loca, had been open about her struggles with depression. She co-hosted a podcast about the topic called Mentally Ch(ill), and recently grieved the loss of her grandfather on Twitter.
“The man of my dreams will now only be in my dreams. I’ll miss you everyday, forever. I love you my Pa,” she tweeted on June 30. On Father’s Day she posted a tribute to her grandfather. “Unfortunately he hasn’t been doing well & I’m trying to prepare myself, but it sucks,” she wrote on Instagram, with a video of her kissing his cheek in the hospital.
During last week’s new episode of Mentally Ch(ill), Ryan addressed her grandfather’s death, saying, “I’m just worried that this is going to send me into a deeper depression.”
Her ex-boyfriend, actor Drake Bell, tweeted disbelief when he heard the news Monday. “Please wake me from this nightmare,” he wrote. Later, he added, “My heart is crushed.”
On Monday, her podcast co-host Kristen Carney tweeted images of heartbreak, writing: “RIP @StevieRyan The coolest girl I’ve ever known.”
On VH1, Ryan had a sketch series called Stevie TV and she co-hosted a reality show on E! with Brody Jenner called Sex with Brody.
