Johnny Lewis

Jonathan Kendrick Lewis (October 29, 1983 – September 26, 2012), also credited as Johnny K. Lewis, was an American film and television actor.

Lewis began making television appearances while in his late teens, with guest starring roles in Boston Public (2000), The Guardian (2001) and American Dreams (2002), among others.

He was best known for playing Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX series Sons of Anarchy, and for other television roles such as Gilby in The Sausage Factory (2001–2002), Pearce Chase in Quintuplets (2004–2005) and Dennis "Chili" Childress in The O.C. (2005–2006).

He made his feature film debut in 2004, in New Line Cinema's Raise Your Voice, and followed that up with Miramax Films' Underclassman in 2005.

He co-starred as Pearce Chase, one of five siblings on the Fox series Quintuplets, and appeared in the movie Raise Your Voice (2004) alongside Hilary Duff.

Lewis also appeared in supporting roles in the films Underclassman (2005), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), Felon (2008) and The Runaways (2010).

Lewis also guest starred in four episodes of the Nickelodeon television series Drake & Josh as Scottie, one of Drake's bandmates, and from 2005 to 2006 he played Dennis "Chili" Childress on The O.C., another Fox series.

He had a guest spot during the fifth season of Smallville.

Lewis dated American singer Katy Perry from 2005 to 2006.

In mid-2009 he learned that he and his then-girlfriend, actress Diane Gaeta, were expecting a baby.

The couple had split up by April 6, 2010, when the couple's daughter, Culla May, was born, but briefly attempted sharing a residence.

Lewis eventually moved out, after which the couple engaged in a "long and painful" custody battle that Lewis ultimately lost.

Although Lewis was raised in a "Jewish-oriented household", his family also practiced Scientology; his parents attained the highest available level within the Church of Scientology, called "Operating Thetan Level VIII", or OT VIII.

Lewis starred in Scientology training films and endorsed the Scientology drug rehabilitation group Narconon.

However, Lewis left Scientology in his early 20s.

After sustaining head trauma from a motorcycle accident in 2011, Lewis was arrested three times between 2011 and 2012.

Lewis also starred in the film Magic Valley (2011), which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

He became well known for his role as prospect biker Kip "Half-Sack" Epps in the first two seasons of the FX series Sons of Anarchy.

Lewis was arrested three times between 2011 and 2012.

On October 30, 2011, Lewis suffered head injuries from a high-speed motorcycle accident.

Though an MRI was recommended, and Lewis' father scheduled MRI tests twice, Lewis refused to take them.

His father later stated that he "pursued and encouraged psychiatric treatment for his son. It was Johnny who refused to comply."

Lewis started manifesting bizarre and illogical behavior from that point on and concurrent to his ensuing legal troubles.

Bill Jensen reported in Los Angeles magazine that Lewis' family and attorneys pushed for rehab for marijuana addiction to avoid trial.

When counselors observing Lewis rejected this, they pursued rehab for alcoholism instead.

In September 2012, he bludgeoned his landlady and her cat to death before falling off the roof of her house where he had been renting accommodation.

Johnny Lewis grew up in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks.

He was the middle child of Michael and Divona Lewis.

Both parents were practicing Scientologists, and Lewis himself was a Scientologist for most of his life.

After finishing school, Lewis left home at the age of 18 to pursue an acting career.

In January 2012, he struck two men in the head with a bottle while engaged in a fight.

He pleaded no contest to charges of assault with a deadly weapon in the case.

The second arrest came about six weeks after the first, with Lewis accused of attempting to break into a woman's home.

He pleaded no contest in that case as well.

Considering the cases, a probation official expressed that he was "very concerned for the well-being of not only the community but that of the defendant", stating Lewis suffered from mental health issues as well as chemical dependency and that he would "continue to be a threat to any community he may reside in".

Lewis was released from a Los Angeles County jail on September 21, 2012, five days before his death.

In early August 2012, Lewis was well enough to be granted provisional out-patient status after agreeing to be detained for "time served".

He was assured that he would likely just spend a couple more days in jail; however, this turned into nearly two more months of detention, during which he suffered a severe downturn in health and spirits.

Lewis was released from jail on September 21, 2012.

On September 26, 2012, at the age of 28, Lewis and his 81-year-old landlady, Catherine Davis, were both found dead at Davis' home inside of Lewis’s apartment in Los Angeles, California.