The family of Carla Jeffery, the actress Disney Channel viewers knew as the perky cheerleader Bree in the “Zombies” movies, is pushing back on unfounded online chatter linking her death to drugs, stating flatly that she did not use drugs. Her death came on September 1, 2026, at her home in California.
TMZ was told by a spokesperson for the family that those close to her intend to wait for autopsy results before saying anything more about the circumstances. No news organization has reported the rumors circulating online, which rest on no official finding of any kind. Relatives added that foul play played no part and that police are not investigating.
The coroner told TMZ the case remains pending, with no preliminary cause or manner of death determined. Relatives explained that they are being careful about what goes public because they want anything released to be accurate, and they asked for space while they mourn and wait for findings.
Jeffery, 33, had spoken publicly about living with epilepsy, which was diagnosed after seizures began when she was 18. She partnered with the Epilepsy Foundation to tell her story and appeared in a Disability Pride Month public service announcement that aired on Disney Channel in 2022; the British charity Epilepsy Action noted her death on September 3. Whether the condition had any connection to her death is unclear, and no cause of death has been released.
Her relatives launched a GoFundMe campaign toward a $5,000 goal to cover funeral and burial costs. A statement on the fundraiser page, posted by a relative named as Carl Jeffery, said: “I am creating this fundraiser for my close family member, Carla Jeffery, as we face the heartbreaking loss of a loved one.” The campaign had brought in almost $5,000 by Friday, September 4, up from $1,828 the day before.
Manager Shared the News on Instagram
The death became public on the night of September 2, when Carla Alexander of Alexanders Talent Management, her manager of many years, posted to Jeffery’s Instagram account. Jeffery signed with the agency at 12 and stayed more than 20 years, Alexander said, growing from a child performer into an actress with a smile capable of lighting up any room. “Carla was more than a client; she was family,” Alexander wrote.
The agency gave no cause of death, requested that the privacy of those close to Jeffery be respected, and closed its tribute by urging the actress to rest beautifully. Everyone she worked with came away with a lasting impression of her talent, warmth and spirit, Disney Entertainment Television said in a statement of its own, crediting her with a rare gift for connecting with audiences and promising that her generosity and sense of humor would be remembered. Her relatives, fellow cast members, and fans of her work all received the company’s condolences.
Co-Stars and Her Twin Brother Pay Tribute
Castmates from “Zombies” were posting tributes within hours. Chandler Kinney, who portrayed Willa, called her “the brightest shining light in any room she walked into” and “the kindest person you’d ever meet.” In a longer tribute she wrote: “You made every day better and brighter with your infectious positivity,” adding that the warmth Jeffery gave Bree reflected who the actress was away from the camera.
Photos and videos went up on the Instagram Story of Milo Manheim, her on-screen counterpart as Zed, who wrote: “Carla. The sweetest person I have ever met. I love you.” Her energy was something he would never forget, said Trevor Tordjman, who portrayed Bucky Buchanan, and he called her one of a kind.
The agency’s statement went out again from her twin brother, actor Carlon Jeffery, a former star of Disney Channel’s “A.N.T. Farm,” who paired it with beach footage of his sister and a screengrab of a text he had sent her on a date he did not specify. In that message he said he was proud of her resilience and grace, urged her to let no one dim her light, and told her he had her back in this life and the next.
From Larry David’s HBO Set to Seabrook High
Jeffery was born in Houston, Texas, on July 10, 1993. Her first screen credit came in the 2006 comedy “Phat Girlz,” where she played Jazmin Biltmore at 10 — the younger version of the character Mo’Nique played as an adult. The following year brought a recurring role on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” where the character Keysha Black gave her 10 episodes across the sixth and seventh seasons between 2007 and 2009. The Blacks, a family left without a home by Hurricane Edna — the show’s fictional stand-in for Katrina — had moved in with series star Larry David, and Keysha was one of them. JB Smoove played Leon in that household, and Vivica A. Fox played Loretta.
Steady television work followed. She guest-starred on Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” in 2008, Disney Channel’s “Good Luck Charlie” in 2011 and “Shake It Up” in 2012, and played Janila on NBC’s police drama “Southland.” Her credits also included “Scream Queens,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Uncle Buck,” “American Vandal,” “Suburgatory,” “Torchwood,” “Men of a Certain Age,” “Best Friends Whenever,” “Lie to Me” and “Miss Guided.” In movies she turned up in “Teacher of the Year” in 2014, “Girl on the Edge” in 2015 and “Exchange” in 2016, and she voiced a character in a 2020 episode of Disney XD’s “Spider-Man.”
The Role That Made Her a Star
Her breakthrough arrived in 2018 with the Disney Channel musical “Zombies,” in which she played Bree. The character, a Seabrook High School student, competes for a place on the cheerleading team and strikes up a friendship with Addison, played by Meg Donnelly. She took the role up again in the sequels released in 2020 and 2022, then returned to voice the character in the 2024 animated offshoot “Zombies: The Re-Animated Series.” Cast music videos for songs including “Flesh & Bone” and “Fired Up” featured her as well, and so did Donnelly’s video for “Impress.”
The franchise that introduced her to a young global audience stayed part of her life: she walked the carpet at the world premiere of “Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires” at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on July 8, 2025.
Her relatives say no further details will come until the autopsy is complete, and they have repeated their request that their privacy be respected in the meantime. As of Wednesday, September 9, no cause of death had been released and no funeral or memorial had been announced.