Wait. Let’s clear the air first because the internet has a weird way of muddling things up. If you just saw a headline about a Chris O'Donnell obituary and your heart dropped thinking the guy from NCIS: Los Angeles or Batman Forever passed away, you can breathe. The Hollywood actor is very much alive and, as of early 2026, he’s actually gearing up for a major TV comeback in the 9-1-1 universe.
But the tragedy you're seeing in the news is real. It just belongs to a different Chris O’Donnell.
The obituary making waves is for Christopher Ryan O'Donnell—better known to nearly a million people as "Creeohdee." He was a 31-year-old fitness influencer, a hiker, and a guy who spent his time trying to help men navigate the dark waters of mental health and addiction. He died in January 2025, and now, a year later, his story is still hitting people hard.
The Confusion Between Two Men
Names are a funny thing. When someone famous shares one with someone else, the search engines go haywire.
Actor Chris O'Donnell, the one we’ve watched since Scent of a Woman, is 55. He’s healthy. He’s busy. He just landed the lead role of Captain Don Sharpe in 9-1-1: Nashville. People were worried that his career was over after NCIS: LA ended in 2023, but he’s basically just been taking a breather before heading to ABC.
Then you have the Chris O’Donnell from Arizona. The influencer.
He was young. Vibrant. Usually seen outdoors with his dogs, Blue and Riley. When his obituary was published in Phoenix, it didn't just list a date of death. It sparked a massive conversation about what it means to look "perfect" on social media while fighting a war inside your own head.
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Who Was Christopher Ryan O'Donnell?
Honestly, Chris—the influencer—was a lot more than just a guy who posted gym selfies. He grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, and his life wasn't exactly a straight line to success. He was a two-time college dropout. He worked at a salmon processing plant in Alaska for 20 hours a day. He was a pool boy in Florida.
He lived. Like, really lived.
By the time he became "Creeohdee" on TikTok, he had been sober since 2018. That was a huge part of his brand. He wasn't just selling protein powder; he was selling the idea that you could come back from the brink. He was open about the fact that he’d been battling depression since he was 15.
That’s why his death hit his 840,000 followers like a freight train.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner eventually confirmed that he died by suicide on January 11, 2025. It’s a gut-punch of a detail because his last few posts were so… reflective. In November 2024, he posted a video asking if people would remember his face once he left "the rat race" and was "lying in the dirt."
At the time, people probably thought it was just deep, "main character energy" content. Looking back, it feels like a goodbye.
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Why This Obituary Still Trends in 2026
You might wonder why we're still talking about this a year later. It’s because the Chris O'Donnell obituary serves as a permanent digital marker for a specific type of modern tragedy.
- The "Check-In" Culture: Every time a fan sees a rerun of NCIS, they Google the name. They find the news about the influencer. It starts the cycle of grief all over again for a new group of people.
- Mental Health Advocacy: Chris’s family asked that instead of flowers, people donate to the Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation. They wanted to turn his death into a legacy of prevention.
- The SEO Loop: Algorithms don't distinguish well between "Actor Chris" and "TikTok Chris."
It’s a bit of a mess, really. You have fans of the actor panicking, and fans of the influencer mourning.
The Legacy Left Behind in Gilbert and Norfolk
Chris wasn't just a screen name. He was a son to Mary and Patrick. He was a brother who gave a really moving speech at his brother Connor's wedding just weeks before he died. He called it one of his "proudest moments."
His obituary describes a guy who was a bull rider, a photographer, and a painter. He loved "beauty in every medium."
Friends like Kevin Clevenger (known as ironsanctuary) have kept his memory alive by talking about the "real" Chris—the one who didn't always have it together despite the muscles and the mountain views. That’s the version of Chris people are actually looking for when they search for his obituary. They want to know that the guy they followed was human.
What to Take Away From All This
If you’re here because you were worried about the actor, you can rest easy. He's fine. But maybe don't just close the tab.
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The "other" Chris O’Donnell left a pretty clear message before he went. He once wrote that social media is a lens, but he wanted people to have a "full field of view." He wanted people to know that even the guys who look like they’ve conquered the world are often just trying to survive the day.
If you or someone you know is going through it, don't wait for an obituary to be the thing that brings people together.
Immediate Resources:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Just dial 988 (in the US and Canada).
- Crisis Text Line: Text "STRENGTH" to 741741.
- International Resources: If you're outside the US, check Find A Helpline.
The best way to honor a legacy like this isn't just by reading about it. It's by actually checking in on the people in your life who seem like they have it all figured out. Usually, those are the ones who need it most.
Next Steps:
If you want to support the causes Chris O'Donnell cared about, look into the Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation. They focus specifically on depression awareness and suicide prevention. You can also follow mental health advocates like Kevin Clevenger who continue to discuss the pressures of the fitness industry and digital fame.
Stay safe out there. Pay attention to the people behind the screens.