[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion.]
Everybody Loves Raymond‘s long-awaited reunion special has finally arrived on CBS, and it packed an emotional punch as the series creator and stars remembered their late colleagues.
While Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, who played Ray Barone’s (Ray Romano) parents, Marie and Frank, may have died in the years since the comedy’s finale in 2005, some viewers may not realize that another key member of the family is missing in 2025, as Sawyer Sweeten, who played Geoffrey Barone, is also gone.
Sawyer was the real-life brother of onscreen sibling performers Madylin Sweeten and Sullivan Sweeten, and in 2015, the young actor died by suicide at the age of 19. The reunion special didn’t shy away from Sawyer’s loss as Madylin and Sullivan shared the stage with their TV family, including Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Monica Horan, and series creator Phil Rosenthal.
As Madylin and Sullivan reminisced about their childhoods behind the scenes, Sullivan, who was also Sawyer’s twin, said of his experience on the show, “I definitely feel like I carried that experience through my whole life. I try to bring that kind of comedy wherever I go.”
Sonja Flemming/CBS
When asked about their favorite episodes of the series, Madylin noted that she enjoys “Marie’s Sculpture,” but Sullivan selected the series finale, as he shared, “I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and the final scene with everyone gathered around the table’s gotta be my favorite memory.”
When Romano interjected by asking, “Can we mention…” Madylin finished his query by saying, “Sawyer? Yes.”
“Sawyer, of course, is no longer with us, and we miss him, and he… was just this bright energy, light,” Romano said.
“None of us really expected what happened, but you know, I try to think about the good moments, and oftentimes, that’s here on this set,” Sullivan noted.
Still, the Sweeten siblings took a moment to raise awareness around suicide prevention. “I just think it’s so important in any conversation that we’re having about Sawyer, we’re very passionate in our family about suicide prevention,” Madylin stated. “It is the second-leading cause of death between the ages of 18 to 25, but ninety percent of people who seek treatment are cured,” she added. “And so many of the messages we get are people saying I’m so grateful to have heard about your brother. He saved my life.”
Heaton asked the siblings if there was an organization that they worked with in memory of Sawyer, and Madylin clarified, “We work with the national suicide prevention hotline, that’s our main place. But you know, people can grab a Sawyer t-shirt. We do t-shirts every year, and all of the proceeds go there.”
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion, Streaming now, Paramount+
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