Soap Opera Star Dies at 46 After Vaping Pushed Him ‘Over the Edge’

British soap actor Paul Danan died less than a year after being hospitalized for respiratory failure, his management company revealed Thursday. He was 46.

At the time, Danan said a prolific vaping habit—developed after years of smoking cigarettes—pushed him “over the edge.”

Danan’s management company Independent Creative Management broke the news in a Thursday statement posted to Instagram that was flooded with well wishes from fans.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the passing of Paul Danan at just 46 years old,” the post read. ”Known for his television presence, exceptional talent, and unwavering kindness, Paul was a beacon of light to so many. His untimely departure will leave irreplaceable voids in the lives of all who knew him.”

It added that “no further comments will be made at this time,” about the circumstances surrounding Danan’s death, but the actor has spoken previously about the severity of his health struggles after he said he became addicted to vaping.

“I’m upstairs puffing away on my vape then suddenly I lost my breath and collapsed,” Danan told The Sun last year. “My family called for an ambulance and started giving me CPR, then police arrived and took over before paramedics took me to hospital. I was on a machine in [the] ICU and ended up with pneumonia. My family were warned I might not make it through the night. I’m so lucky.”

Speaking to the doctor about the damage vaping was doing to his body, Danan said hid doctor was “so harsh with me.”

“She told me, ‘Paul, you don’t know how serious this was and you are going to be in here for a while now, on this oxygen,‘” he said. “She said if I ever smoke in any form again I risk being linked to an oxygen tank later on in life. She said that’s it now.”

Danan is best-known for his role as Sol Patrick on the soap opera Hollyoaks from 1997 to 2001. He went on to appear in various children’s shows before crossing over to reality TV in programs such as Celebrity Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother.