Actress Clare McCann Opens Up After Her 13-Year-Old Son Dies By Suicide Following Relentless Bullying – “They Just Destroyed Him”

Australian actress Clare McCann, known for her work on Channel [V] and indie films like Benefited, is living through every parent’s deepest fear — and she’s not staying silent about it.

Her 13-year-old son, Atreyu, died by suicide earlier this month after what she describes as months of brutal bullying at his public school in New South Wales.

Now, Clare is speaking out — not just in grief, but in rage, in love, and in action.

“He told me he’d kill himself if I made him go back to school.”

Atreyu had only just started Year 7 at South Sydney High School. Within two days, Clare says, he came home in tears.

“He begged me to make it stop,” she wrote on Instagram. “They tried to drown him on a school camp. They drew on his body. He got phone call after phone call, just harassing him.”

“They just destroyed him,” Clare said. “And in a moment of immense pain, he just did something… because I think he didn’t know what else to do.”

She tried everything. She emailed the school. She called the Department of Education. She gathered psychologist reports, medical files, and formal PTSD diagnoses.

“I warned them — at least ten times — and nothing changed.”

“My child’s life was stolen. And now I’m trying to save his legacy.”

On April 1, Clare pulled Atreyu out of school after he told her he’d rather die than go back. For a moment, there was hope.

She got him therapy. They spent time healing. She thought he was getting better.

But earlier this month, Clare’s world shattered. In an act of despair, Atreyu took his own life.

“As my worst nightmare has come to life, my child’s has been stolen.”

Now, Clare has launched a GoFundMe campaign with an emotional and unconventional goal: to cryogenically preserve Atreyu’s body — a deeply personal decision born out of her conversations with him about the afterlife and second chances.

“We used to talk about heaven, and how we’d come back and do things together,” she wrote. “I can’t fail him now.”

The campaign also seeks funds for legal action, medical costs, and building a trust in Atreyu’s name to fund anti-bullying work.

As of now, the fundraiser is far from its $300,000 AUD target — but Clare says she won’t give up.

The system failed. She won’t let it happen again.

“This was not his fault. He was let down by the schooling system.”

Clare isn’t just grieving — she’s angry. She’s calling for real reform and accountability in how schools deal with bullying.

“How many more children have to die before someone does something?” she asked.

She says she reached out to the school, the Department of Education, and even warned officials about the severity of the bullying — and nothing changed.

NSW Education Minister Prue Car called Atreyu’s death “a heartbreaking tragedy.” But for Clare, words aren’t enough.

“Don’t just say it’s heartbreaking,” she said. “Do something.”

“I just want him to be remembered for who he was — not how he died.”

Atreyu wasn’t just a victim. He was an artist, a dreamer, and a rising actor.

He had already landed roles in Deadly Women, Black Truck, and the indie film Benefited. He loved performing, storytelling, and imagining a world bigger than his own.

“He was the brightest light in my world — kind, creative, and endlessly loved.”

Clare is now using her platform to honor him — not with silence, but with action.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you are not alone.
Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “HELLO” to 741-741, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

“This isn’t just about my son. This is about every child who feels helpless, every parent who doesn’t know what to do, and every system that looks the other way. I will not let his story end in silence.”

Let’s make sure it doesn’t.