EXCLUSIVE — The Tragic Final Days of Brandon Lee

Here’s What Happened to the Son of Martial Arts Legend Bruce Lee

Brandon Lee’s rise to stardom was cut short with a horrific consequence.

The 28-year-old son of martial arts icon Bruce Lee was shot in the abdomen, March 31, 1993, while filming the now-cult-action movie, The Crow, in which the actor portrayed Eric Draven — the comic-book-based rock musician who returns from the grave to avenge his own murder. It was to be Lee’s breakthrough film performance.

Instead, it was his last.

Investigators concluded that the tip of a real .44-caliber bullet, placed in a prop gun for a close-up scene, had become lodged in the barrel. No criminal charges were filed in the direst happenstance, which was ruled “accidental” because Lee was shot by a gun that was supposed to shoot blanks. The result, unfortunately, was the death of Lee, who was not your average martial arts star. As an Asian-American performer, he had charisma, accomplishments diversity, the moves, looks, and personality. Far from one-dimensional on-screen or in real life, he had it all together. He retained modesty and discretion, and remained unaffected and level-headed with his position as a movie star and a movie star’s son, even as the ghost stories as his father’s turbulent life and career continued to haunt him through his life.