Cody Longo, 'Days of Our Lives' Actor, Dead at 34: He 'Was Our Whole World'

"He was the best dad and best father. We will always and forever miss you and love you," Cody Longo’s wife Stephanie shared in a statement following his death

Photo: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Cody Longo, best known for his roles on Days of Our Lives and Hollywood Heights, has died. He was 34.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Longo's wife Stephanie paid tribute to the late actor following his death.

"Cody was our whole world. The kids and I are shattered and beyond devastated," she shared of the couple's three young children. "He was the best dad and best father. We will always and forever miss you and love you."

Longo's manager Alex Gittelson also remembered his "dear friend for over a decade."

"My heart breaks for his beautiful family," he said of Longo. "He had taken some time away from acting to pursue music and spend more time with his family in Nashville, but we had kept in touch regularly and he was excited to get back into acting this year."

Gittelson added: "Cody was such a loyal, loving and talented person and he will be greatly missed."

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A family member told TMZ that Longo's body was found by authorities in bed at a residence in Austin, Texas, after Stephanie was unable to reach him.

The Austin Police Department did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.

Longo played Nicholas Alamain — the son of Carly Manning (Crystal Chappell) — on Days of Our Lives for eight episodes in 2011. He also appeared on Hollywood Heights, Make It or Break It and Nashville.

In addition to acting, Longo released singles "She Said" and "Electric."

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In January 2021, Longo pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in Colorado relating to a 2019 incident with a 9-year-old girl, according to Clarksville Now.

The actor was arrested in January 2020 and charged with a class 4 felony, sex assault on a child, according to court records obtained by the outlet. (The felony charges were dropped following the plea.)

He was also arrested in November 2020 on a domestic assault charge after his wife told police he shoved her in the face with his forearm, according to a police report obtained by the outlet.

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At time of Longo's November arrest, his lawyer Iris Eytan released a statement regarding the sex assault on a child charge, sharing in part, "Overwhelming evidence unequivocally disproves and refutes the allegations in the affidavit. Other than the evidence of innocence revealed in the actual, not summarized, interviews in the affidavit, additional evidence completely exonerates him," per Clarksville Now.

Eytan added: "This evidence includes opinions by a very experienced and licensed polygrapher, and a psychologist. These experts determined that Cody Longo was truthful when he denied the claims in the affidavit, and that he is not a risk to minors, and the accusations are unfounded."

In a statement to PEOPLE this week, Eytan said, "Cody should be remembered as a kind, gentle and talented soul. He had a complicated relationship with his biological father which led to the false accusations which ensued."

"Both cases were dismissed, and that is alone proof that the accusations were without any merit," she continued. "He leaves behind a loving wife and three doting children. I was fortunate to know him for the short time he was on this planet."

Longo is survived by his wife and three children. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help them cover his funeral costs.