former “The Real Housewives of Orange County” Star Lydia McLaughlin laments the loss of her brother Jeffrey Sham Sterling.
Sterling died Thursday night at age 45 after being shot dead on suspicion of an altercation with a police officer after a traffic stop in Newport Beach, California. A press release has been posted by the city’s police station on Friday’s X page.
“My family and I are devastated by the loss of my brother. I am grateful for the pouring of love and support from friends, family and the community. We ask for privacy as we grieve.”
McLaughlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Fox News Digital.
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” alum Lydia McLaughlin laments the loss of her brother Jeffrey Sterling, who died after police officers shot him over alleged altercations during a traffic stop. (Greg Doherty/Getty Images by Franz Skincare)
McLaughlin, president and CEO of Newfoundland Broadcasting Company in Canada, and Scott Sterling, father of Sterling, also shared a statement with people.
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“Jeffrey was a beloved son, brother, uncle and friend,” Scott said. “He was a television producer, scriptwriter, actor and model. He attended church every Sunday and supported multiple charities. We already missed him.”
According to a press release from Newport Beach PD, Sterling, a resident of Laguna Beach, California, was riding a motorbike on the Pacific Coast Highway when he was handed over to a police officer on suspicion of traffic violations around 9:15pm.
McLaughlin said she and her family were “devastated” by Sterling’s death and later presented her sincere tribute to her brother on Instagram. (Tommy Garcia/Bravo/nbcu Photo Bank/nbcuniversal via Getty Images)
“Suddenly after it was stopped, Sterling became cooperative and attacked the officers,” the statement read. “During the subsequent violent altercation, Sterling was able to remove the department-issued Taser from the officer’s mission belt and tried to deploy it multiple times against the officer, at which point there was a shooting involving the officer.”
“Additional officers responded to the scene and provided medical assistance to Sterling until Newport Beach Fire Department officials arrived,” the statement continued. “Sterling was taken to a local hospital where he was later declared to have passed away.”
The police said, “According to California law, The California Department of Justice (DOJ) was notified and responded to the site to conduct an independent investigation. ”
“Once the investigation is completed, the findings will be handed over to the special prosecutor’s section of the DOJ for an independent review,” the statement continued. “This remains an active investigation.”
McLaughlin was the main cast member for the 8th season of the 2013 show. (Vivian Zink/Bravo/nbcu Photo Bank/nbcuniversal via Getty Images)
She rejoined the cast in 2017 for the 12th season of “RHOC.” (Tommy Garcia/Bravo/nbcu Photo Bank/nbcuniversal via Getty Images))
McLaughlin was a major cast member during the 8th season of “RHOC” in 2013, and she 12 seasons of the show 2017.
In October 2024, McLaughlin announced that her mother Judy Sterling, who appeared with her daughter in season 8 and season 12 of the reality show, passed away after a long battle with breast cancer. In addition to McLaughlin and Sterling, Scott and Judy also shared their son Jesse Sterling, 53.
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On Saturday, McLaughlin paid tribute to his brother on his Instagram page.
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“My family has experienced unimaginable losses. My brother, Jeff, was tragically taken, and our hearts were shattered,” she wrote in the caption of her post, featuring a photo of Sterling.
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“This was a song he saw after we lost our mom,” she continued, referring to Billy Eilish’s 2024 hit, “Bird Bird.”
“He’s going to cry every time,” she added. “I can’t believe we are facing this pain just six months after losing our best friend and mother. They know that we are with Jesus now. He is walking through this darkness with me.
