Coroner confirms the death of Frank Ocean’s brother, 18, and the tributes pour in

Mourners left bouquets of flowers, lighted candles and a football where the Tesla had crashed. Some embraced, unable to hold back tears; others just stared at the scene in tragic disbelief.

A black and white picture left at the memorial had a hand-drawn heart in the corner and the initials of the two young men who had been in the car. The note on it read: “We love you forever.”

Ryan Moore, the 18-year-old brother of singer Frank Ocean who went by the name Ryan Breaux, died from blunt force head injuries in a single vehicle collision early Sunday morning in Thousand Oaks, the Ventura County Medical Examiner confirmed Tuesday. Ezekial “Zeek” Bishop, 20, who was driving at the time of the crash, also died of blunt force injuries, the medical examiner said.

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the fiery scene just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday near Westlake Boulevard and Skelton Canyon Circle. According to authorities, Breaux and Bishop were traveling south on Westlake when their car collided with a tree in the median, ripping the vehicle in half. The two were pronounced dead at the scene, and the medical examiner said toxicology test results are pending.

Breaux and Bishop graduated from Oaks Christian High School in 2019. Bishop was a track and field athlete as well as a football player who went to attend Cal State Northridge. Bishop’s personal website has been turned into an online memorial, offering a place for loved ones to leave their condolences.

Breaux was the younger brother of Ocean, the acclaimed musical artist born Christopher Breaux. The two were reported to be close, despite their 14-year age gap. Much like his famous brother, Breaux lived a largely private life yet often was the public muse for his brother’s music.

Ocean penned the song “Orion” from his 2011 “Lonny Breaux” mixtape for his younger brother. In it Ocean sings:

And it’s no pressure, man
Cause you’re special
I know you wanna get big and strong quick
But don’t skip one second (Orion)

Breaux also was featured in Ocean’s song “Futura Free” off his critically acclaimed “Blonde,” released in 2016. Breaux’s then-11-year-old voice can be heard in the outro where he responds to a series of questions that capture the youth and nostalgic memories of the song.

After the release of “Blonde,” Breaux tweeted about his brother’s creative process, revealing that Ocean had spent 16 hours a day perfecting the project. He also said how relieved he was once the album was finished. He tweeted, “Im glad its out tho bc when im @ the studio he gets focused and forgets to feed me and bring me home.”

Breaux was creative in his own right. He had dreams of pursuing a fashion career, and his Instagram account, which has more than 32,000 followers, offered a glimpse into his life. His last post from a week ago featured him in the passenger seat of a car wearing a shimmering black shirt, staring into the distance.

While friends, family members and Ocean’s fans have taken to social media to offer their condolences, Ocean has not made a public statement.