What happened to Lori Butler, Austin Butler's mother? Facts about her

Posted by Martina Birk on Thursday, May 2, 2024

Lori Butler was a loving and committed mother who did everything to give her children the best. Her efforts and sacrifices carved a star everyone enjoys, Austin Butler. What happened to Austin Butler's mother?

Lori Butler played a fundamental role in paving the way for Austin Butler's career success. Austin became known for his features in Nickelodeon and Disney Channel productions and later in teen dramas. He has also received credits for his features in Switched at Birth, The Carrie Diaries and The Shannara Chronicles, to mention a few. Unfortunately, Lori did not live long enough to experience her son's success. Why so?

Lori Butler's profile summary and bio

Full nameLori Anne Howell
GenderFemale
Date of birth6th May 1964
Date of death12th September 2014
Age50 years (at the time of her death)
Place of birthUSA
EthnicityWhite
Hair colourBlonde
Eye colourGrey
OccupationAesthetician and businesswoman
Marital statusDivorced
Ex-spouseDavis Butler
Children2 (Austin and Ashley)
Famous asAustin Butler's mother

Lori Butler's age

Lori Anne Howell was born on 6th May 1964 in the USA and died in September 2014. She was 50 years old when she died.

Lori Butler's spouse

Lori Butler's ex-husband and Austin's father is David Butler. What does Austin Butler's father do? David is a wheeler-dealer and earns his keep in the real estate sector in the Southern California area.

David is an American national and a celebrity dad from a white ethnical background. He holds a degree in business administration from Pepperdine University. He has remained the only parent figure in his kids' lives.

Lori worked as an aesthetician who later started running an in-home daycare. Her proximity to Disneyland was an advantage to Austin since he was gifted a yearly pass to the park and a base to launch his acting career.

Does Austin Butler have a relationship with his father?

Before Austin's career took off, he had an everyday life like any kid. Unfortunately, his parents divorced when he was seven. Austin and his sister would bounce back and forth between their parent's homes. The divorce was not filled with drama since they desired to give their children an ample upbringing.

Austin had a closer relationship with his mother, though that does not mean he has a troubled relationship with his father. His parents collectively wrote his biography on Austin Butler's IMDb profile.

Lori Butler children

Lori was an intentional mother to her two kids, Ashley and Austin. Ashley, her eldest, was born in 1986, and Austin, her youngest, was born on 17th August 1991.

Lori Butler's movies

Even though Lori was not an actress, she facilitated her son's career progression. She also inspired his Elvis audition; he plays Elvis Presley in Elvis, the 2022 film.

These are some of Austin's notable film and TV show credits:

  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2019
  • The Dead Don't Die in 2019
  • Dude in 2018
  • The Intruders in 2015
  • Arrow between 2014 and 2015
  • Masters of the Air in 2023

Lori Butler's cause of death

Tragically, Lori died on 14th September 2014, barely a month after Austin's 23rd birthday. According to reports, she succumbed to cancer, which often invites the question, what kind of cancer did Lori Butler have? Unfortunately, Austin has not publicly opened up about his mother's ailment.

Lori's death was a big blow to her children, particularly Austin. In a now-deleted tweet, Austin referred to her as his hero and best friend. In an interview, he mentioned how losing her nearly made him retire from acting, saying,

I had never experienced pain like that before, and I started questioning. Suddenly I was around doctors and people hurting a lot in hospitals, and I thought, is acting a noble profession? Should I be doing this or give myself in some way that can help people dealing with cancer or something like that?

In a May 2022 interview, Austin opened up about getting a tattoo honouring his mother, Lori. The tattoo, number 27 on his wrist, symbolises his mother's favourite number, which she referred to as her God number.

Lori Butler's birthday

Lori Butler's children still speak fondly of her and celebrate her birthday posthumously. For instance, in 2020, Ashley paid a moving tribute to mark her 56th birthday. She shared an old photo of her and her mum and captioned it,

Mommy! We have now celebrated six of your birthdays without you. People say time heals all, but it hasn't gotten easier. I miss you just as much today as the day you left. I love you more than I can express with words.

According to narrations by her children, Lori Butler was a selfless mother who wanted the best for her children. Even though she did not live to witness her son's transcendence to stardom, her legacy lives through her impact on his career.

READ ALSO: Everything known about Rafa Cannavale, Bobby Cannavale's youngest son

We compiled known details about Rafa Cannavale. He is best recognised as Bobby Cannavale's youngest son. His mother, Rose Bryne, gained notoriety for her feature in the X-Men: First Class. Similarly, Bobby has two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award to his name, thanks to his acting dexterity.

Like most parents, Bobby and Rose carefully shield Rafa from the public eye. However, these facts about him were compiled after surfing the web.

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