A cause of death has been released for Ethan Browne, the son of musician Jackson Browne.

Browne died on Nov. 25 at the age of 52 after being found unresponsive at his home. At the time of his death, no details surrounding the circumstances of Browne’s death were shared.

Following new findings from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, it’s been revealed that Browne — the eldest child of Jackson Browne — died due to the “effects of fentanyl, methamphetamine and lidocaine,” according to online records reviewed by USA TODAY on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

The manner of Browne’s death was ruled an accident, per the medical examiner. USA TODAY has reached out to Ethan and Jackson Browne’s reps for comment.

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Scott Adams, the cartoonist who created the long-running “Dilbert” comic strip, has died at 68 after a battle with prostate cancer. Adams shared his cancer diagnosis in May 2025. In 2023, numerous newspapers dropped his comic strip after he made racist comments saying that white people should “get the hell away from Black people.”

Adams’ ex-wife, Shelly Miles, announced his death during a Jan. 13 livestream. She also read a message from Adams, which he authored at the start of the year. “I had an amazing life,” Adams wrote in his New Year’s Day letter. “I gave it everything I had. If I got any benefits from my work, I’m asking that you pay it forward as best as you can. That’s the legacy I want: be useful. And please know, I loved you all to the very end.”

Fentanyl is a “potent synthetic opioid drug” that can be used for pain relief and as an anesthetic, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug, which can be found in counterfeit pills, is “approximately 100 times more potent than” morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that speeds up the body’s system, including heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and body temperature, per the DEA. High doses of the drug, which comes in pill and powder form, can lead to death through stroke, heart attack or multiple organ problems caused by overheating.

Lidocaine is a type of local anesthetic that is used to “relieve pain by blocking signals at the nerve endings in skin,” according to the National Cancer Institute. The drug can also be injected intravenously to stop heart arrhythmias (aka irregular heartbeat).

Ethan Browne dies: Son of musician Jackson Browne was 52

Browne followed in his father’s showbiz footsteps, pursuing careers in both modeling and acting. Among Browne’s most notable acting roles were 1995’s “Hackers” and 2004’s “Raising Helen.”

Browne’s mother, actress and model Phyllis Major, died by suicide in 1976 when Browne was a toddler.

Ethan Browne, left, and his father, Jackson Browne, attend the "Raising Helen" premiere at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California, on May 26, 2004.

Ethan Browne, left, and his father, Jackson Browne, attend the “Raising Helen” premiere at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California, on May 26, 2004.

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Browne eventually became a father himself, a milestone his dad Jackson Browne reflected on in 2022.

“Ethan is a great father. He’s a great son, a great man,” Jackson Browne told Tru Rock Revival. “I love seeing him with his kids. When I see him in his movies, modeling, with his daughter, and being such a great dad, it makes me very proud. It makes me feel I’ve done something really right in my life.”

If you or someone you know needs help battling a substance abuse addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).  

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ethan Browne cause of death – Jackson Browne son died of fentanyl