Carla Jeffery’s twin brother was trying to do something ordinary when he sent what would become his final message to her. Carlon Jeffery simply wanted to know how his sister’s day had gone and asked her to call him back.
After the Zombies actress died at 33 on September 1, Carlon shared a screenshot of the message on his Instagram Stories. He told Carla that he loved her “to the moon and back” before writing at greater length about how proud he was of the woman she had become.
The message praised Carla’s resilience, grace and smile before encouraging her to protect the “light” she carried. It ended with words that became especially painful after her death: “I got your back in this life and the next,” according to PEOPLE.
Exactly when Carlon sent the text is not publicly known because the screenshot did not show a date or timestamp. Carla’s death was announced by her longtime talent agency the following day, and no cause or manner of death has been determined publicly.
Carlon Told Carla to Protect the ‘Light’ She Carried
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Carlon’s message went far beyond asking for a return phone call. He told his twin how proud he was of her “resilience,” “grace” and “infectious smile,” describing Carla as someone whose presence could brighten a room and urging her not to allow other people, or her own doubts, to diminish that quality.
He also called Carla the best sister a brother could ask for and wrote about wanting their relationship to continue growing stronger as they moved through life. TMZ noted that the screenshot does not establish when the message was sent because the date and time were not visible.
The text provided an unusually personal glimpse of the bond between the twins at a moment when most public remembrances had focused on Carla’s work. Carlon also pursued acting, while Carla built a career that began in childhood and eventually became closely associated with Disney Channel’s Zombies franchise.
Her Longtime Agency Announced Her Death
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Carla’s death became public on September 2 through a statement from Alexanders Talent Management, which said she had joined the agency at 12 and remained part of its professional family for more than 20 years. The agency remembered watching her grow from a young performer into a vibrant actress whose personality and smile stayed with the people around her.
Her longtime manager, Carla Alexander, described Jeffery as more than a client and asked that the family’s privacy be respected. The statement confirmed that Jeffery died September 1 at 33 but did not announce a cause of death.
A family spokesperson later told TMZ that relatives were waiting for autopsy results before sharing further information. The coroner told the outlet that the case remained pending and that no preliminary cause or manner of death had been determined.
Her ‘Zombies’ Costars Remembered Her Warmth
Jeffery played Bree in the first three Zombies movies before returning to voice the character in Zombies: The Re-Animated Series. After news of her death spread, several cast members shared photographs and memories that echoed Carlon’s description of the warmth she brought into other people’s lives.
Chandler Kinney remembered Jeffery as “the sweetest, most sparkly gal” and wrote that her “infectious positivity” made working days brighter. TheWrap reported that Kinney felt the bubbly personality audiences saw in Bree reflected who Jeffery genuinely was away from the cameras.
Milo Manheim also remembered her as one of the sweetest and kindest people he knew, while Trevor Tordjman praised her energy and described her as one of a kind. Their tributes focused less on individual scenes or performances than on the generosity and enthusiasm Jeffery brought to the people working beside her.
Jeffery Had Been Acting Since She Was 12
Jeffery began acting at 12 with a role alongside Mo’Nique in the 2006 comedy Phat Girlz. Her later television work included appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, iCarly, Southland, Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up! and American Vandal before she became widely known to Disney audiences as Bree.
Disney’s official biography says Jeffery also remained connected to interests she had developed outside acting. She enjoyed fitness, helped teach acting classes at a local acting school and had competed on a cheerleading squad as a child, a background that overlapped naturally with the cheerleader she later played in Zombies.
Her final text from Carlon now adds a more private memory to the public record of that career. Long before the message became something he would share in grief, it was a brother reminding his twin that he was proud of her and wanted her to protect the brightness he saw in her.