According to ABC News, Christian Brando, the son of famed actor Marlon Brando, died of pneumonia on January 26, 2008. His early demise comes as no surprise. From the start, Brando’s life was full of tragedy.

Based on information collected at Crime Library, Christian Brando was born during a tumultuous time. His parents, Anna Kashfi and Marlon Brandon, were on the verge of a divorce fueled with rage. Shortly after his birth, they split which led to the shuffling around of Christian from his mother’s house to his father’s house.

Eventually, his father won custody, but it was under the worst circumstances. Christian, age 13, needed to be rescued from Anna who was abusing barbiturates and alcohol. Yet, this event only delivered him from one form of evil into another.

Marlon Brando was not ready for fatherhood.

Due to his celebrity, Marlon Brando raised his son with an assortment of nannies and exposed him to his sexual escapades with a variety of women. It was an environment that most psychologists wouldn’t recommend for any growing child. For this reason, it wasn’t shocking that Christian Brando ended up dropping out of High School and also succumbing to alcohol and drugs.

Sadly, his addictions were not the pinnacles of his struggles in life. In 1990, according to Crime and Justice, he pleaded guilty to the murder of his sister Cheyenne’s lover, Drag Drollet. For it, he spent five years in prison.

Once out, his life continued to be riddled with troubles from law suits and another accusations ranging from spousal abuse to murder (Robert Blake case). It seemed that he was never able to achieve any level of peace or success. It is a tragic story, but not unlike the one’s of many children of the rich and famous.

The instant spot light thrown on the children of celebrities and other societal people can be too bright causing them to react in unseemly ways. This can be viewed in the lives of people like Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and even Drew Barrymore. Their parents gave them access to a world that brought them into drugs and eventually led two into jail.

Thankfully, Christian Brando can now rest in peace. It took a life time, but he finally made it.