Disney Kid Star Discovered Dead at 33

Carla Jeffery, the actress who played bubbly cheerleader Bree in Disney's Zombies movies, died on September 1, 2026. She was 33.

Her longtime agency, Alexanders Talent Management, announced the death in a statement posted to Jeffery's Instagram account. Manager Carla Alexander wrote that Jeffery "passed away on September 1, 2026, at just 33 years old." No cause of death was given.

Alexander later told KTLA that more information would be released in the coming days.

The cheerleader from Seabrook High

Jeffery was best known as Bree, an aspiring cheerleader at Seabrook High School and the loyal best friend of Addison, played by Meg Donnelly. The first Zombies film, a Disney Channel Original Movie, premiered in 2018. Jeffery came back for Zombies 2 in 2020 and Zombies 3 in 2022, then voiced Bree again in the 2024 animated show Zombies: The Re-Animated Series.

The franchise found a huge audience with younger viewers. It was built around young people learning to live together despite fear, labels and division, and Bree carried a lot of that openness with kindness and comic energy. She was easy to root for.

Jeffery also appeared as Bree in cast music videos for songs including "Flesh & Bone" and "Fired Up," and turned up in Donnelly's video for "Impress." Her final live-action turn as the character came in Zombies 3.

She started at 12, playing a young Mo'Nique

Born July 10, 1993, in Houston, Jeffery made her screen debut in the 2006 comedy Phat Girlz, playing a younger version of Mo'Nique's character. She joined Alexanders Talent Management the same year, at age 12, and stayed with the agency for more than 20 years.

The child roles piled up fast. She guest-starred on Nickelodeon's iCarly, ABC's Miss Guided and Fox's Lie to Me. On NBC's cop drama Southland, she had an arc in the first season as a key witness in an attempted murder case. She also appeared in Men of a Certain Age.

Alexander described watching that growth up close. "For more than 20 years, we had the privilege of watching her grow into a beautiful, vibrant, and incredibly talented woman whose radiant smile could light up any room," she wrote.

Ten episodes on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'

Long before Disney fans knew her as Bree, Jeffery had a run on Larry David's HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. She played Keysha Black, part of the Black family that moves in with David after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The clan also included Leon, played by JB Smoove, and Loretta, played by Vivica A. Fox.

She appeared in 10 episodes across the show's sixth and seventh seasons, from 2007 to 2009. It was one of the show's most memorable family storylines, and it came years before she ever set foot in Seabrook.

Her Disney Channel run started with Good Luck Charlie in 2011, followed by Shake It Up and Best Friends Whenever. She also worked on American Vandal, Scream Queens, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Suburgatory, Uncle Buck and Torchwood. She voiced Mania in the Marvel toon Spider-Man in 2020, appeared in films including Teacher of the Year (2014), Girl on the Edge (2015) and Exchange (2016), and recorded an episode of the audio drama Asanté in 2025.

Co-stars: 'This doesn't feel real'

Milo Manheim, who played Zed in the Zombies films, posted a tribute to his Instagram Story. "Love you Carlaboo. The sweetest, kindest, most loving person," he wrote. He also shared a clip of her dancing scene from iCarly and thanked her for spreading so much joy.

Chandler Kinney, who played werewolf Willa starting with Zombies 2, wrote, "This doesn't feel real." She called Jeffery "the sweetest, most sparkly gal" and added, "you made every day better and brighter with your infectious positivity." Kinney said she would miss laughing with her and watching her break out her signature splits on any dance floor. "You're a legend in my eyes," she wrote.

Trevor Tordjman, who played Bucky, said he was at a loss for words and would never forget her energy and spirit. The tributes read less like polished statements and more like friends trying to make sense of a sudden loss.

Disney's tribute

Disney Entertainment Television released its own statement. "Carla Jeffery's extraordinary talent, warmth and spirit left an indelible mark on everyone who had the privilege of working with her," the company said. "She had a rare gift for connecting with audiences, and her performances brought joy to millions."

Her agency struck a more personal note. "Carla was more than a client; she was family," Alexander wrote, before asking the public to respect the privacy of Jeffery's family and loved ones as they grieve. "Rest beautifully, Carla. Your light will never be forgotten," she added.

A twin brother and a lifelong love of cheer

Acting ran in the family. Jeffery's twin brother, Carlon Jeffery, is also an actor, and he co-starred in the Disney Channel sitcom A.N.T. Farm from 2011 to 2013. The two grew up performing.

The physical confidence she brought to Bree came from real life. Disney's biography noted that Jeffery had been a competitive cheerleader as a child with the Midwest Marauders in Cincinnati. That background helped explain the easy comic timing and the splits her castmates kept mentioning.

Her off-camera life included working out, teaching acting classes and a lifelong love of cheerleading. She had, in other words, spent most of her life around the very things that made Bree click on screen.

An advocate for epilepsy awareness

In recent years Jeffery used her platform to speak openly about living with epilepsy. In 2022 she shared her story with the Epilepsy Foundation of America. "No Longer Hiding My Disability," she wrote online. "Letting It Be Known! I'm Carla Jeffery & I Have Epilepsy."

The Cameron Boyce Foundation, which works to support young adults living with epilepsy, mourned her online. "We are truly saddened to hear about Carla Jeffery," the foundation said. "She was such a light and incredible advocate for the epilepsy community."

Her manager did not connect the death to any condition, and no cause has been released. Alexander said only that the family needs privacy, and that further details would be released in the days ahead. For now, the people who knew Jeffery keep circling back to the same thing: the joy she carried into every room, and how young she was to be gone.