Anton Yelchin’s parents have thanked everyone for the outpouring of sympathy following their son’s tragic death.
The 27-year-old actor died from "blunt traumatic asphyxia" in a freak accident at his Los Angeles home last month when his car rolled backward and trapped him against his gate and his parents Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin conveyed their appreciation for the tributes that have since poured in for the star.
In an ad placed in The Hollywood Reporter, they said: "Thank you, to all of you who have sent flowers and gifts, for your condolences and kind words. We are deeply grateful for your unconditional love. He would be surprised at how many hearts and souls he touched."
Anton was famous for playing Pavel Chekov in ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Trek Beyond’ – which has just been released in cinemas – and his co-stars admitted they are finding it hard to promote the film while they are grieving their friend.
Co-star Simon Pegg admitted he’s dealing with the death of his friend by making the movie "about Anton".
He said "He should still be here, but we have to make this about Anton now. And we talked about how hard it was gonna be to get out there and bang the drum for this movie when we’ve lost one of our family.
"But for his sake and for his memory we’re gonna make it. It’s something that we just now have to contend with."
Fellow ‘Star Trek’ star Zachary Quinto recently described Anton’s passing as a "devastating loss". He said: "Beautiful, beautiful guy. I don’t even know how to talk about it. We already knew this was going to be a bittersweet experience as a result of the loss of Leonard [Nimoy, who died in February 2015]. But this has been absolutely devastating for all of us. I think our goal just has to be to celebrate his incredible life and honour him. It was a terrible loss, not only to us but to audiences and the industry."
Anton was mourned at a private service by close friends and family and buried in an "undisclosed location" five days after his death at his home in Studio City, California.
On the night he died, Anton was due at rehearsals but when he failed to show up, his worried friends went to his home to check on him and found his lifeless body.
The tragic death was officially ruled an accident, however questions were raised over why the vehicle rolled back and whether it was a mechanical or human error.
An investigation is also being held into whether Anton’s car was a model that should have been recalled because of a gear-shifting problem.
Anton Yelchin’s parents thank fans
