Multiple murders, cast deaths and a 'curse': The complicated history of the Power Rangers.

Content warning: This story includes descriptions of domestic violence that may be distressing to some readers.

For millennials, the Power Rangers was a staple of their childhoods.

By the early '90s, the Power Rangers was a booming American franchise built around a live-action superhero television series. It was actually based on a Japanese source material, Super Sentai, and followed a team of youths who were recruited and trained to morph into special rangers – superheroes that had special powers to overcome the bad guys.

It was a winning formula that the franchise has continued to use – consisting of 29 television seasons of 21 different themed series and three theatrical films released in 1995, 1997 and 2017.

The original series is what fans have always been most nostalgic about - starring David Yost (blue ranger), Austin St John (red ranger), Amy Jo Johnson (pink ranger) Walter Emanuel Jones (black ranger), Jason David Frank (green ranger) and Thuy Trang (yellow ranger). 

But despite massive commercial success, the franchise has been overshadowed by a number of big scandals and tragedies. And there's been such a number of controversies that the concept of the 'Power Ranger curse' has emerged. 

Watch the trailer for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Post continues below.

It all began with the death of Thuy Trang – the yellow ranger.

When the original series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered in 1993, Thuy became a fan favourite.

But in 2001, the Vietnamese-American actor's life ended when she died in a car accident. She was only 28.

She and Angela Rockwood, a model and fellow actor, were returning late at night after visiting someone when their car suddenly hit the roadside rock face after the driver lost control. The vehicle flipped numerous times before striking the safety rail and eventually plunged over the bank. Both Rockwood and the driver survived, but Trang died on the way to hospital due to the internal injuries she had sustained. 

An episode titled 'Circuit Unsure' of Power Rangers Time Force (the ninth season of the Power Rangers franchise) was dedicated to her memory.

"We were really good friends," original black ranger Walter Emanuel Jones said about his co-star's death. "I remember how sweet Thuy was to people. She especially had a way with kids. Her energy drew you in, and her smile made your heart feel safe."

This week, another of the original cast members died – Jason David Frank, who played the green ranger, Tommy Oliver. He was only 49, and his manager did not name the cause of death but asked for "privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being".

Walter Emanuel Jones wrote on Instagram, that he couldn't believe it.

"My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family," Jones wrote.

Thuy and Jason when they starred together in Power Rangers, and Jason a year before his death in 2022. Image: Saban International/Instagram.

Between Trang and Frank's deaths, there were a number of controversies that have cropped up.

Years after his time on the Power Rangers ended, blue ranger David Yost revealed to No Pink Spandex that he had chosen to quit due to harassment over his sexual orientation by crew members. 

"The reason that I walked off is that I was called the f-word one too many times," Yost said. "I had just heard that several times while working on the show from creators, producers, writers, directors… Basically, I just felt like I was continually being told I was not worthy of being where I am because I'm a gay person. And I'm not supposed to be an actor. And I'm not a superhero."

After leaving the show, Yost says he experienced a nervous breakdown.

Another major story to come out of the franchise was about Skylar Deleon – at 14, Deleon starred in a few episodes of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from 1993 to 1994. Years later, Deleon confessed to the murder of Thomas and Jackie Hawks and he was sentenced to death. 

Deleon along with ex-wife Jennifer Henderson, were in a large amount of debt. They were both convicted for the murders of the Hawks, who were wealthy yacht owners. Deleon and Henderson killed the Hawks at sea, and their bodies were never recovered.

In his 2009 interview after being convicted for murder, Skylar Deleon said, “I’m definitely sorry to [Ryan Hawks’] parents. I wish I could give him back his parents.” #ABC2020 #Overboard https://t.co/RbltbtQAnJ pic.twitter.com/jeJpSp1fUj

— 20/20 (@ABC2020) July 24, 2021

The couple was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder on November 17, 2006, after four hours of jury deliberation. While awaiting trial in jail, Deleon was charged with soliciting another inmate to murder Deleon's cousin and father.

Deleon was also accused of killing John Jarvi, a Californian man who was found dead in Mexico in 2003. Deleon's father and cousin – the cousin was charged as an accessory to the Jarvi murder – were considered "important witnesses" in both murder cases. Deleon's attorney later conceded that Deleon had indeed committed all three murders. 

The attorney said she had taken the case to trial only to argue to a jury that Deleon should not be sentenced to death. On October 20, Deleon was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and the jury rendered a death verdict. Deleon remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison. In 2019 Deleon came out as trans, and now uses she/her pronouns. 

This wasn't the only criminal case associated with a Power Rangers cast member.

Another instalment from the franchise, Power Rangers Wild Force, aired in 2002 and the show's lead actor was Ricardo Medina Jr. who played Cole Evans/'Red Lion'.

Medina would go on to also star as the villain, Deker, in Power Rangers Samurai in 2011. Four years later, it was reported that Medina had stabbed his roommate to death with a sword. 

It was a gruesome killing, and according to court reports, Medina had argued with his roommate, 36-year-old Josh Sutter, over Medina's girlfriend in January 2015, in their Los Angeles County home. They said when the argument became physical, Medina stabbed Sutter multiple times.

The weapon was confirmed to be a large double-edged sword. Medina ended up pleading guilty and his charge was dropped from murder to voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to six years in prison in 2017.

Ricardo Medina Jr when he starred in Power Rangers Wild Force. Image: BVS International.

The 'curse' doesn't stop there.

In 2019, New Zealand actor Pua Magasiva died by suicide. He had risen to fame as Shane Clarke, the red ranger from Power Rangers Ninja Storm, and Vinnie Kruse in the Kiwi soap opera Shortland Street.

After his death, it was revealed that he had been convicted of domestic violence two months before he ended his own life. He was sentenced to 70 hours of community work and six months supervision after he put his wife in a headlock, dragged her by the neck and spat in her face in 2018.

Magasiva's widow later said she was concussed three times by Magasiva and that he threatened to harm her daughter Laylah during the two-and-a-half-year relationship.

Why Pua Magasiva's widow Lizz Sadler broke 'cycle of silence' to out his abuse https://t.co/0qdpiYJsQQ pic.twitter.com/AcdNeTC9lC

— Stuff (@NZStuff) December 17, 2019

"I enabled Pua, in a way, to be violent. I made excuses for him and made it easy for him to be that way. I want women to speak up and tell the truth. I have kept silent for so long. He would threaten to kill himself if I went to the police – or kill me."

Given the sudden death of Jason David Frank this week, more and more attention has been paid to the sad history behind the iconic franchise.

Reflecting at their 25-year reunion, co-star David Yost said: "Whenever we're together we just pick up where we left off. The chemistry, the family is still there."

If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.

Feature Image: Getty.

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