Erin Moran Died 'Penniless' And Had A Tragic Life, 'Happy Days' Star's Brother Claims

Erin Moran's brother, Tony, remembered her "incredible" sister days after her death on April 22, saying that the "Happy Days" star was "penniless" and had been living a tragic life. In an interview with the Sun Saturday, Tony talked about his sister's struggle after her "Happy Days" lives were over.

“Erin was a tortured soul who never recovered after Happy Days. Hollywood chewed her up and spat her out,” Tony said in the interview. He also said that his sister, who was suffering from throat cancer, kept her illness a secret from her five siblings.

“I didn’t even realize she was sick, never mind dying. When I found out I bawled like a baby. I couldn’t believe she was gone," Tony told the Sun. “My first thoughts were she must have had a heart attack caused by years of substance abuse.

“She has always battled demons and in recent years things have gone from bad to worse. We were raised by a mum and dad who were not fit to be parents. She found true happiness on Happy Days and was America’s sweetheart," he said, adding: “But then she was a nobody . . . and it broke her heart. I think in her final months she’d had enough of living after all she had been through and was just ready to go."

Read: Erin Moran’s Final Photo In Public?

Tony continued to say, “I wish I had got a chance to tell her how much I loved her. I pray she finds the peace she never found when she was alive.”

On Monday, a joint statement from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Harrison County Coroner’s office said the former “Happy Days” child star died of stage 4 cancer complications.

“A subsequent autopsy revealed that Mrs. Moran likely succumbed to complications of stage 4 cancer,” the statement read. "Standard toxicology tests were performed and the results are pending however no illegal narcotics were found at the residence.”

Following the release of the report, Moran's husband Steven Fleischmann broke his silence on his wife death. His open letter was published on Facebook by former "Happy Days" star Scott Baio.

Open letter from Steve. (Erin Moran's Husband).

Erin and I met 4/22/1992 and parted ways 4/22/2017. We were planning to go toThunder Over Louisville to celebrate.She was feeling fine on our anniversary11-23-2016. Maybe four or five days after we got back Erin woke up and had about a dime size blood stain on her pillowcase. She saidI think i bit my tongue. A couple days go by and there's a bigger spot of blood. We get like 4 days into December, there's more blood. I get a flashlight and say let me look.It was not her tongue it was her tonsil on the left side. I thought it was tonsillitis.So we went to an ENT who said they wanted to biopsy it. It came back squamous cell carcinoma. She started radiation and chemo. Five days a week radiation and chemo only on Thursdays. We did that the whole time. It got so bad so fast. By the middle of February, Erin could no longer speakor eat or drink. She had a feeding tube implant and i feed her 6 to 8 times a day. She was still happy, she was active, she texted people on her phone all day. On the 21st she was having trouble breathing. She woke up on the 22nd, she was not 100%. She needed Kleenex, so i went to the store and cameback. She was there watching T.V in bed. I laid down next to her held her right hand in my left. I feel asleep woke up about a hour later still holding her hand and she was gone, she was just gone.. Norton Cancer Institute never said how bad it was.. The coroner told me it was really really bad. It had spread to her spleen, she had a lot of fluid in her lungs and part of her brain was infected. The coroner said even if she was in the hospital being pumped full of antibiotics she still would not of made it. He said it was the best that she was with me and went in her sleep. So that's it.

PLEASE feel free to send the above to Any and ALL news outlets The press has been relentless. they knock on the door constantly. Thank you Harrison County Sheriff's I Called last night and they came out ran them off got up this morning they were all back sheriffs ran them all off again. the last time two cop cars ran off the last ones right before it got dark. we will see what tomorrow brings....

PEACE my friends.

Anson Williams, who starred opposite Moran on the 1970s comedy Happy Days, talked about his co-star, telling People magazine: “It’s hard to wrap your arms around it. She was having treatment for throat cancer, so I was contacting her husband and her and she seemed to be fighting it, really doing well. I was just shocked when I got the call she had passed. I had no idea it was that bad.

“She kept very quiet,” he continued. “We all kept quiet too, out of respect for Erin. She couldn’t speak, but her texts were very [positive].”