Son of former 'Real Housewives' star dead at 35 following addiction battle

The reality television world was saddened over the weekend to learn of the death of one of its own.

Josh Waring, son of former Real Housewives of Orange County notable Lauri Peterson, died at the age of 35, according to an Instagram message posted by his grieving mother, as Fox News reports.

Sad announcement

The news of Waring's death came in the form of a heart-wrenching announcement from Peterson herself, made on social media.

Peterson, 63, said, “It is with a shattered heart that I write this post to let you know that my sweet Josh left this earth Easter Sunday.”

Her message was accompanied by a series of photos depicting her son at various times in his life.

“No one can ever prepare you for this feeling of such deep loss,” Peterson continued. “Every fiber in my body hurts.”

Alluding to the personal struggles her son battled for quite some time, she added, “Josh fought every single day for most of his adult life, for his life, but this past Sunday, the challenge was too great.”

Substance abuse struggles blamed

Amid her pain, Peterson made a point of expressing appreciation for individuals who had worked to assist Waring over the years during what was an apparently difficult struggle with substance abuse.

“Thank you to all of the people that have tried to help Josh along the way. I am witness to many Angels on earth. Not everyone understands those suffering from substance abuse disorder, but I am forever grateful for your understanding and the impact you made on his life,” she said.

Waring's death comes not long after his arrest earlier this year for allegedly assaulting a security guard at a California hospital, as Fox 11 reported at the time.

At the time of that arrest, Waring was also wanted on a warrant related to alleged violations of post-release supervision conditions stemming from drug convictions, and it was not the first time he had found himself in similar trouble.

Waring is survived by a daughter named Kennedy, whom Peterson mentioned in her Instagram post, and by his devoted mother, who concluded her tragic post with an especially heartbreaking sentiment, saying that while she would love her “sweet boy” forever, she hoped her son had “found the peace” and freedom he deserved.