Nearly four years later, the sister of late actor Michael K. Williams is speaking out about her brother’s fatal overdose.
“He didn’t want to die, be poisoned or ingest that poison,” Michelle Chambers said in a preview clip of A&E’s Fame and Fentanyl documentary, per E! News. “And darn sure [he] didn’t do it willingly.”
Us Weekly confirmed in September 2021 that Williams, known for his role as Omar Little on The Wire, died at the age of 54.
“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams,” a rep for the late Boardwalk Empire star said in a statement at the time. “They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss.”
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Williams’ death was later ruled as an accidental overdose. Medical examiners had found a mix of fluorofentanyl, heroine and cocaine in his system at the time of his death.
Four men were later arrested in connection to Williams’ death, with one receiving a 30-month prison sentence in July 2023 after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing narcotics.
Williams’ family, meanwhile, used their appearances in Fame and Fentanyl to further memorialize the star.
“I just miss his kindness,” Chambers said of her brother. “He was such a gentle, kind soul… He was a heart that this world didn’t deserve.”
Williams, an Emmy nominee, was also known for his work in films like 12 Years a Slave and When They See Us. He last appeared in Lovecraft Country ahead of his death.
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“I know that I have trauma with my past experiences of life — things that have happened to me, things that I have done, bad choices. I live that and I’m working through it,” Williams told Deadline in July 2021 of preparing for the HBO Max series Lovecraft Country. “Montrose as well as the other members of his family, they are the epitome of the Black experience.”
He added, “As Black Americans, we live such levels of trauma and oppression from the outside world and from each other. For Montrose’s experiences, his story lines to be recognized, it makes me as a Black man feel seen.”
Williams further noted that he hoped for “healing” to come from his acting role.
“It makes me feel like someone is acknowledging the fact that there is a lot of pain in my community and in the experience of just being Black,” he told the outlet. “It makes me feel like someone is acknowledging the fact that there is a lot of pain in my community and in the experience of just being Black.”
Fame and Fentanyl premieres on A&E Monday, August 25, at 9 p.m. ET.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
