Actress Laura Prepon, 46, best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti on “That ’70s Show,” announced on Wednesday that her brother Brad Prepon died July 15 at 48 from an undiagnosed heart condition.
“He passed away suddenly from an unknown heart condition — it was a devastating shock,” Prepon wrote in a tribute posted alongside images spanning years of the siblings’ lives. She said her family had laid Brad to rest this past weekend, and she urged her followers to trust their instincts about their own health and to seek medical attention if something feels wrong.
Brad Prepon died July 15, according to his obituary. His death was confirmed by his sister’s public statement, in which she reflected on the void his absence leaves for those who knew him and those who never met him. She told her followers to hold their loved ones close.
A Tribute From His Sister
In her message, Prepon balanced grief with a plea rooted in the circumstances of her brother’s death. Because the heart condition that killed him went undiagnosed, she framed her appeal as a warning to others: pay attention to warning signs, and do not delay in getting them examined.
Prepon described Brad as an irreplaceable presence, writing that she would carry him in her heart. The actress said she was grateful for the way he had touched the lives of those who knew him, and she characterized his loss as the disappearance of a rare and beautiful force.
Remembering Brad Prepon
Brad Prepon moved to California in 2002 and remained close to Laura and their three other sisters through the years that followed. His obituary painted a portrait of a man defined by curiosity and appetite for knowledge, with a particular fascination for world history and, especially, World War II.
The tribute described a mind that was always at work — analytical, precise and drawn to understanding how things were built. Health and fitness ranked among his priorities, but so did the company of the people he loved. His obituary noted that he treasured holiday gatherings, time with his sisters and the energy of a night out, and that his distinctive personality made him someone people did not soon forget.
His family closed the remembrance by emphasizing that he would be recalled through the qualities that made him singularly himself. The obituary described him as an inimitable force who touched many hearts and who would be deeply missed. Beyond his passions for world history and tennis, those who knew Brad emphasized his warmth and his presence at any celebration.
From ‘That ’70s Show’ to ‘Orange Is the New Black’
Laura Prepon rose to fame as the redheaded Donna on “That ’70s Show,” which ran from 1998 to 2006. She reprised the role for the follow-up series “That ’90s Show.” In the years that followed, she found renewed acclaim as Alex Vause, the dark-haired former drug-cartel associate, on “Orange Is the New Black.”
The actress has weathered personal difficulties in recent years. After separating from her husband, actor Ben Foster, in 2024, Prepon accused him of habitual drunkenness and cruel and inhuman treatment. Foster, for his part, argued that continuing to live together was unsafe and improper. The former couple shares two children.
Prepon has also spoken openly about her recovery from an eating disorder. In her memoir, “You and I, As Mothers,” she disclosed that her mother had taught her to be bulimic, a wound from her childhood that lingered even after she recovered. She has said that opening up about her relationship with her mother prompted an outpouring from readers wrestling with their own struggles with food and family, and that helping even one person made the disclosure worthwhile.
The recent loss of her brother marks a fresh grief for the actress, who has increasingly used her public platform to speak candidly about difficult subjects. In announcing Brad’s death, she returned to that instinct, transforming a private tragedy into a message she hoped might spare another family the same sudden shock.