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The family of Victoria Jones, the daughter of actor Tommy Lee Jones, has released a statement following her tragic death at the age of 34 on New Year’s Day.
Family requests privacy
“We thank you for all of the kind words, thoughts and prayers. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time,” the family said in a statement to Rolling Stone on Friday.
Victoria Jones was reportedly found unconscious at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on January 1st. A cause of death has not yet been announced. However, according to police radio audio released by People, the operation was classified as a “Code Three,” indicating a possible drug overdose.
The San Francisco Fire Department confirmed in a statement obtained by ROLLING STONE that it responded to a “medical emergency” at the hotel around 2:52 a.m. on New Year’s Day. “Upon arrival, fire department paramedics conducted an examination,” the statement said. “The person was pronounced dead.”
Investigations continue
Victoria was one of two children Jones had with his second wife, Kimberlea Cloughley. The couple were married from 1981 to 1996 and also had a son, Austin, who is now 43 years old. Victoria appeared alongside her father in several of his films, including a cameo in Men in Black II. She also appeared in “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,” which Jones directed.
During an interview with The New Yorker in 2006, Jones praised his daughter, who played a young Mexican girl in the film and was 14 at the time. “She’s a good actress, has her SAG credentials and speaks impeccable Spanish,” he said. “When she was a baby, I told Leticia, her nanny, to speak Spanish to her.”
Memories of working together on films
Jones also recalled firing Victoria after she struggled with early filming times as a child. “She had to get up at 5 a.m. for her role. One morning she wouldn’t get out of bed. I said, ‘Honey, this is work.’ But she didn’t move. So I fired her,” he said. “Then the production team, without telling me, woke her up and brought her to set at the last minute.”