Ryan Breaux, the younger brother of musician Frank Ocean, died in a car accident in Thousand Oaks, California. According to reports, Breaux was a passenger in a Tesla that crashed into a tree in the center median after veering off Westlake Boulevard in the early hours of the morning. The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office did not confirm his identity, but friends on social media identified him as one of two young men who died in the crash. The other victim was Ezekiel Bishop, a track and field student-athlete at Cal State Northridge, who enrolled in the university for the spring 2020 semester. Cal State Northridge's athletic director, Mike Izzi, expressed his condolences, saying, "We are deeply saddened to hear of Ezekial's passing. Any loss of life is tragic, and to lose someone so young is absolutely heartbreaking. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ezekial's family at this extremely difficult time."
Reports say that the car was traveling south when it crashed into the tree, and the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office confirmed the accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. and that the car was severely damaged and cut in half on impact.
Ryan Breaux was known to be a source of social media information about his brother's music career. Fans knew him for his Twitter and Instagram posts about Frank Ocean's highly anticipated album releases. After Ocean dropped his 2016 album, Blond, Breaux joked on Twitter, "Im glad its out tho bc when im @ the studio he gets focused and forgets to feed me and bring me home." An interview with a young Ryan Breaux can be heard on the closing track "Futura Free" of Ocean's Blond album.
Ocean, whose real name is Christopher Breaux, has not made a public comment about his brother's death. Paris Brosnan, the model son of Pierce Brosnan, paid tribute to Ryan Breaux on his Instagram, saying, "To my brother, who was talented beyond belief, possessed a heart of gold, had an energy that was infectious, a smile & laugh that lifted everyone's spirit, and was a loyal and authentic friend to anyone he knew. You were just getting started and ready to show the world who you were."
