Robert Carradine's Family Sues UCLA Regents, Alleges Belt Left in Psychiatric Unit Led to His Death

Robert Carradine's family filed a wrongful death and elder abuse lawsuit against the regents of the University of California on Friday, August 7, alleging that basic safety failures at a UCLA psychiatric facility led directly to the actor's death.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County court and obtained by TheWrap, claims Carradine walked into UCLA's locked psychiatric unit "feeling relieved to be hospitalized," hoping treatment would ease his anxiety. He reportedly told staff the structured environment felt "containing and helpful."

The lawsuit alleges UCLA staff failed to remove Carradine's belt when he was admitted, despite the hospital's own written policy listing belts and belt buckles as contraband in the locked unit. The filing calls this a violation of "a cardinal rule" for treating a psychiatric patient with active suicidal thoughts and a documented history of suicide attempts.

The suit also alleges a rolling bedside table was left in Carradine's room, a piece of furniture the family says is not standard in a locked psychiatric ward.

According to the filing, Carradine attempted suicide roughly 19 hours after admission. He never regained consciousness. The lawsuit states he suffered an anoxic brain injury, spent close to five weeks in intensive care, and died on February 23, 2026, at age 71.

The family's attorneys argue the failures weren't a matter of UCLA lacking knowledge or resources. "None of this happened because UCLA lacked the knowledge, the policies or the means," the filing states. "It happened because UCLA took shortcuts with two safeguards that were meant to protect Robert's life."

Beyond the belt and the furniture, the family alleges UCLA also failed to conduct required 15-minute checks on Carradine, claiming he went unwatched for extended stretches. The suit further alleges that after the incident, UCLA's internal investigation produced a version of events in hospital records that surveillance footage from the facility contradicted, according to TMZ's review of the filing.

These are allegations made in a civil complaint. None of them have been proven in court, and the regents of the University of California have not yet filed a public response. TheWrap reported that representatives for the regents did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The family is seeking general, special and economic damages, along with wrongful death damages, according to the filing.

Carradine was a member of Hollywood's Carradine acting family, son of actor John Carradine, brother of David and Keith Carradine, and father of actress Ever Carradine. He was best known for playing Lewis Skolnick in "Revenge of the Nerds" and its sequels.

When the family announced his death in February, they spoke openly about his long struggle with bipolar disorder, saying they hoped sharing his story would build greater public understanding of mental illness. That February statement described him as "a beacon" in "a world that can feel so dark."

The case now moves toward UCLA's response in Los Angeles County court.