The children of the late actor Robert Carradine filed a lawsuit against the University of California on Friday over staffing failures preceding his suicide.
The actor died at age 71 on February 23 from the effects of an anoxic brain injury. The injury was caused by a suicide attempt while he was receiving treatment at UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital.
His daughters, Ever and Marika, and his son, Ian, filed the lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California and various unnamed defendants. The complaint alleges wrongful death, elder abuse and neglect.
Hospital admissions and belongings
According to court documents obtained by The Daily Mail, Carradine voluntarily admitted himself to the Resnick hospital twice in one month. He was discharged on January 9 after a seven-day stay, but returned on January 16, 2026, due to suicidal ideation during a manic episode.
The documents state that the actor was "relieved to be hospitalized" and hoped that "additional inpatient treatment would" reduce his anxiety.
"But Robert's hopes for successful treatment didn't match the reality he had stepped into," the lawsuit claims. "Instead of walking into a safe environment, he walked into a locked facility that broke a cardinal rule for a hospitalized psychiatric patient with active suicidal thoughts and a history of suicide attempts."
His children highlighted that the hospital failed to remove his belt, an item classified as contraband.
"The belongings form that UCLA generated from Robert's admission shows the facility failed to confiscate his belt," the lawsuit alleged. "UCLA also left a rolling bedside table in his room, which was not a standard piece of furniture in the locked psych unit."
The Daily Mail requested comment from UCLA and the UC Regents.
Falsified observation records
The day after Carradine was admitted, hospital staff found him unresponsive in his room. Investigators described the incident as an apparent hanging involving a leather belt.
The lawsuit claims that staff failed to monitor him properly.
"None of this happened because UCLA lacked the knowledge, the policies or the means," the lawsuit said. "It happened because UCLA took shortcuts with two safeguards that were meant to protect Robert's life."
Carradine's children claimed that "no one watched him or checked on him for long periods of time despite orders to watch him every 15 minutes."
According to the complaint, the staff member assigned to watch the actor sat in a chair in the hallway and entered observations into an iPad without looking at him.
"The iPad carried forward whatever information had last been entered, so that UCLA staff were allowed to click that they had checked on someone without ever looking at them," the lawsuit stated. "On paper, UCLA produced a perfect record, making it look like they were checking on suicidal patients every 15 minutes."
The filing claims that UCLA allowed staff to cut corners, knowing it placed patients with suicidal ideation at risk of death.
The lawsuit added that UCLA "did not investigate reality" and recorded "a version of events" that was contradicted by video surveillance.
Mental health battle
Medical personnel restored Carradine's circulation and transferred him to intensive care. He remained hospitalized for more than five weeks before his condition deteriorated and he was pronounced dead on February 23.
A medical examiner's investigative summary ruled the manner of death a suicide in June, listing the cause as "sequelae of anoxic brain injury" due to hanging. The report noted that no foul play was suspected.
Carradine had battled bipolar disorder, depression and psychosis for roughly two decades and had recently become increasingly depressed. Medical examiner records state he had a history of severe depression with psychotic features, anxiety and prior suicidal ideation.
Records show he had previously sought treatment for suicidal thoughts at the same facility. Family members told investigators they believed he was discharged too early following his first hospitalization in January.
His brother, the actor Keith Carradine, has publicly stated there was "no shame" in the suicide, describing it as the result of a long battle with mental illness.
Damages sought
Robert Carradine was best known for his starring role in the comedy film Revenge of the Nerds and the reality competition series King of the Nerds. He also played the father of the title character on the Disney television show Lizzie McGuire.
He is survived by his three children, actress Ever Carradine, Marika Reed Carradine and Ian Alexander Carradine. They are seeking general damages, special and economic damages, and wrongful damages in their lawsuit.
