Pascal Le Segretain/Getty ImagesAnton Yelchin's parents are overwhelmed by the support they have received after their son's tragic passing.
The Star Trek actor died in a freak car accident in his driveway last month, and his parents, Viktor Yelchin and Irina Yelchin, took out a full-page ad in The Hollywood Reporter to thank fans for their condolences during this trying time. "Thank you to all of you who have sent flowers and gifts, for your condolences and kind words and to all who came to celebrate the life of our dear son, Anton," their message reads. "We are deeply grateful for your unconditional love for [him]. He would be surprised at how many hearts and souls he touched. Thank you very much."
Soon after the accident, Yelchin's co-stars and friends paid tribute to him on social media. "Our dear friend. Our comrade. Our Anton. One of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know. So enormously talented and generous of heart. Wise beyond his years. And gone before his time," Zachary Quinto wrote on Instagram. "All love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief."
Another co-star, John Cho, posted on Twitter, "I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist—curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins."
Yelchin's family hosted a private funeral for their son, which was attended by his closest friends and family. The actor was only 27 years old when he was killed after his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards and pinned him against a brick mailbox and a security fence, a police spokesperson told E! News. He was supposed to be meeting friends for a rehearsal when he never showed up.
The accident sparked a $5 million class-action lawsuit from Jeep owners against Grand Cherokee manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, claiming a "defective" gearshift has caused more than 300 deaths, including Yelchin, whose car was one of 1.1 million vehicles listed in a massive recall by FCA.