Nick Cave’s son Jethro passes away at 30 in second tragedy for legendary musician

Nick Cave's son, Jethro Lazenby, has died at the age of 30 in Australia, seven years after the accidental death of the singer's teenage son, Arthur

Nick Cave’s son Jethro passes away at 30 in second tragedy for legendary musician
(Image credit: Getty)

Nick Cave's son, Jethro Lazenby, has passed away at the age of 30. 

In a statement released on Monday, the Bad Seeds frontman wrote, "With much sadness, I can confirm that my son, Jethro, has passed away.

"We would be grateful for family privacy at this time."

The devastating news comes seven years after the death of Nick's younger son, Arthur. The 15-year-old died in 2015 after plunging from a cliff in Brighton, leaving behind his surviving twin brother, Earl. An inquest into the fatal accident found that Arthur had LSD in his system before the fall. 

Jethro, who previously worked as a model in the UK for Versace and Balenciaga and actor, grew up in Australia and only met his father Nick for the first time when he was seven or eight years old. 

Jethro was found guilty of unlawful assault last month after physically attacking his mother, Beau, at their home in Australia in March. It was later revealed by his lawyer that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. 

He was jailed, and released on bail last weekend. The conviction came four years after he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend and threatening to 'murder' her. 

In a 2012 interview with the Evening Standard, Jethro reflected on his complicated relationship with his father. 

"I haven't had the easiest life," he said. "It didn't start off that great, having all this shit with my dad and being in his shadow." The former photographer also shared resentment for the stereotypes surrounding children of wealthy celebrities, adding, "When someone thinks I'm a lucky little rich kid, I want to throttle them." 

Nick made a rare public comment about Jethro in 2008, telling a reporter, "It was a difficult time, but it turned out great in the end. To my eternal regret, I didn’t make much contact with Jethro in the early years, but I now have a great relationship with him.”

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.