Gay Adult Star Casey Tanner Has Died at 28

Monday April 17, 2023
Originally published on April 16, 2023

Casey Tanner
Casey Tanner   (Source:Twitter)

Gay adult performer Casey Tanner has died, according to the website Str8UpGayPorn.com. He was 28.

(Tanner was also known as Slade Michael Ferris. Read his obit here).

According to multiple social media posts from friends and former co-stars, the website writes that Tanner had been fighting for his life in a hospital since last weekend. News of his passing was announced on Sunday, April 16, although a cause of death has not been made public. The former Helix Studios model was originally from Ohio and had been living in San Diego for the last six years with his long-term boyfriend, Ariq Roth.

Slade Michael Ferris (Casey Tanner) and Ariq Roth
Slade Michael Ferris (Casey Tanner) and Ariq Roth  

Aria reached out to Str8UpGayPorn "to confirm that Casey had been suffering from health problems for years, and after contracting pneumonia last month, his organs began failing. Ariq wrote in part,'He had health problems that for many years had been progressing. The combination of multiple failed organs, and contracting pneumonia for about the last month of his life, I assure you he passed comfortably in hospice care. It is unreal the amount of love and outreach we have had, and I'm sure all can understand how it is challenging to get back to every message.'"

Ariq went on to share that there will be a celebration of Casey's life this coming Tuesday in San Diego (see image below for details), and donations are being accepted to fund a plaque at the San Diego Zoo in honor of Casey.

Casey Tanner starred in nearly two dozen scenes at Helix between 2013 and 2016, including the multi-award winning Helix Academy, and he made headlines throughout the years for his popular YouTube videos with then-boyfriend Blake Mitchell. The duo remained friends after breaking up in 2016, and Blake (Lane) paid tribute to him today.


Condolences came in on Twitter: