Storage Wars star Laura Dotson shared that Darrell Sheets had been facing cyberbullying for years before he died in an apparent suicide in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on April 22.
Storage Wars' Darrell Sheets Dead at 67
Content warning: This story discusses suicide.
Darrell Sheets was in a dark place before his death.
The Storage Wars star—who died in an apparent suicide on April 22 at age 67—had been vocal about the social media bullying he was experiencing in the weeks before his death, with his costar Laura Dotson noting that he was suffering more than most people realized.
“His family told us that this has been happening for three years,” Dotson told Us Weekly in an interview published April 24. “[It happens to] even strong men that you think aren’t gonna get their feelings hurt. Cyberbullying is a real thing. This made him feel less than, and it really obviously bothered him."
Dotson explained, "He was terrified for his life [and] for the people around him. He didn’t know why he was being targeted.”
Last month, Sheets—who ran a business of buying abandoned storage units at auctions for 30 years—spoke out against a social media user for spreading rumors about him online.
"I have been hacked by a very evil person," the A&E star wrote on Facebook March 9. "I’m not gay, I have made no post about any children’s arcadeowner etc . I’m extremely sorry and sick over this ,these people have ruined me and he said he would. please understand it is not me."
Sheets alleged he was facing harassment in person as well, adding, "People are showing up to my work and wanting to harm me."
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for A&E Networks
Sheets was found dead at a home in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on April 22, police told E! News in a statement.
Officers responded to a report of a deceased individual around 2 a.m. and he was pronounced dead on the scene. Police said he appeared to have died by suicide, though the case remains under investigation.
Following his passing, Laura remembered Sheets as a "truly, truly was a wonderful, loving person who believed in God.”
In addition to his faith and his bargain hunting business, Sheets enjoyed music and spending time with his family, including partner Kimber Naisbitt Pino.
"Kimber is the love of my life, and is my biggest supporter of this unique business that I’m in," he said in his Fox Business bio. "I have two kids, Kimber has two kids, and between us we have four beautiful grandchildren that I love being around."
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.