What To Know
- Ethan Browne, actor, model, DJ, and son of musician Jackson Browne, has died at age 52.
- Known for roles in Hackers, Raising Helen, and modeling for major designers, Ethan also founded Spinside Records and released his own album in 2022.
- Jackson Browne expressed deep pride in Ethan’s accomplishments as both an artist and a father, especially following the early loss of Ethan’s mother.
Actor and model Ethan Browne, who is the son of Grammy-nominated musician Jackson Browne, has died. He was 52.
Jackson, 77, confirmed his son’s passing on Wednesday (November 26), writing in a Facebook statement, “It is with deep sorrow that we share that on the morning of November 25, 2025, Ethan Browne, the son of Jackson Browne and Phyllis Major, was found unresponsive in his home and has passed away.”
“We ask for privacy and respect for the family during this difficult time. No further details are available at this moment,” the statement continued.
Born on November 2, 1973, in Los Angeles, California, Ethan had his first taste of the limelight at just six months old when he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone with his father. Jackson rose to fame writing hit songs for the likes of Nico and Eagles, and also had success with his own songs, such as “Doctor, My Eyes” and “Rock Me on the Water.”
On screen, Ethan appeared in the films Hackers (1995) and Raising Helen (2004), as well as a 2002 episode of The WB’s Birds of Prey. Meanwhile, as a model, he appeared in campaigns for various designers, including Isaac Mizrahi, according to Mark Ronson‘s memoir Night People.
Ronson described Ethan as “the real deal — with an angular face and soulful gaze that seemed to reveal his deepest truths, even from a glossy page,” per People.
Ethan also worked as a DJ and founded Spinside Records, an imprint on his father’s label Inside Recordings. He also released an album, Right Before Your Eyes, in 2022.
In a 2021 interview with Route Magazine, Jackson said his focus shifted to being the best father following the passing of Ethan’s mother, who died by suicide in March 1976.
“I only had two things that I hoped I could fit together: being a songwriter and a father,” he said. “And I looked at it like this, if I have to only be a father, I hope I’ll know it, and just do that.”
He also expressed admiration for Ethan’s own skills as a father, telling Tru Rock Revival in 2022, “Ethan is a great father. He’s a great son, a great man. 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.”