The widow of actor James Ransone has shared a deeply emotional tribute to her late husband, as a fundraiser set up to support their family rapidly gains public support.
A Heartbreaking Farewell
Jamie McPhee, Ransone's wife and mother to their two children, posted a poignant message on Instagram following the actor's death on Friday, December 22, 2025. Ransone, best known for his role as Ziggy Sobotka in the acclaimed HBO series The Wire, was 46 years old. The Los Angeles Medical Examiner has ruled his death an apparent suicide, with police finding no evidence of foul play.
McPhee shared a photograph of the couple smiling in a garden, with Ransone's hand resting on her baby bump. Her caption read: 'I told you I have loved you 1000 times before and I know I will love you again. You told me – I need to be more like you and you need to be more like me – and you were so right.'
She continued: 'Thank you for giving me the greatest gifts – you, Jack and Violet. We are forever.' The couple's children are named Jack and Violet.
Fundraiser for the Family Surpasses $44,000
In the wake of the tragedy, a fundraiser was established to provide financial support for Jamie and the children. As of Monday morning UK time, the campaign had raised an impressive $44,418 from 262 donors, working towards a goal of $120,000.
The fundraiser's organiser, Camille Garmendia, wrote a moving description of Ransone, who was known to friends as PJ. 'James was funny, magnetic, brilliant, and endlessly alive. Above all else, he was an extraordinary father,' she stated.
Garmendia emphasised that the actor's family was the centre of his world, describing the bond as 'deep, joyful, and unmistakable'. The purpose of the fund is to give Jamie, known as Skipper to her friends, the space to focus on caring for Jack and Violet and protecting their future.
A Career and Personal Struggles
James Ransone's career breakthrough came with the 2002 teen drama Ken Park. His role in The Wire earned him critical acclaim, and he later appeared in HBO's Generation Kill and Treme, AMC's Low Winter Sun, and played adult Eddie Kaspbrak in It Chapter Two. His final film role was in the horror sequel Black Phone 2.
The actor was candid about his personal battles. In a 2021 Instagram post, he revealed he had been sexually abused by his maths tutor in Maryland in 1992, which led to 'a lifetime of shame and embarrassment'. By age 27, he had developed a heroin addiction and accrued $30,000 in debt. He achieved sobriety in 2007.
In March 2020, he reported the childhood abuse to police, but was allegedly told prosecutors would not investigate. Ransone was also praised as a hero in 2021 for intervening with a metal bar to stop a sexual assault outside his New York apartment, an act he later humbly described as 'what anybody would have done'.
His death was publicly confirmed by TMZ on Sunday, December 24, 2025.
