Isiah Whitlock Jr. died at the age of 71 right before the turn of 2026. His manager, Brian Liebman, confirmed his death on December 30, 2025, in an Instagram post, and later, he revealed that Whitlock Jr. had a “short illness.”
“It is with tremendous sadness that I share the passing of my dear friend and client Isiah Whitlock Jr,” Liebman captioned his social media post. “If you knew him – you loved him. A brilliant actor and even better person. May his memory forever be a blessing. Our hearts are so broken. He will be very, very missed.”
Since Whitlock Jr.’s cause of death was not immediately disclosed, his fans and industry peers are wondering what could have led to his shocking passing. Below, learn what we know so far about his health.
Rest in peace Isiah Whitlock Jr. pic.twitter.com/HdX0Kipy4w
— HBO (@HBO) December 31, 2025
As previously noted, Whitlock Jr.’s cause of death was not immediately disclosed. It’s still unclear how he died, though his manager told Deadline that he was battling a “short illness.”
Whitlock Jr. did not have any known major health issues. He never disclosed any ailments or setbacks throughout his career, and he kept his personal life away from the spotlight.
Liebman told Deadline that Whitlock Jr. died “peacefully.”
