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who rose to fame on the hit police drama Hill Street Blues died in hospital nearly nine months ago - until now.
Zero Hubbard worked almost non-stop until 2003, but when roles dried up, his death in May 2025 went completely unnoticed outside his circle of family and close friends, the Daily Mail can reveal.
No public was ever issued, and there is virtually no record at age 54 on May 16 apart from a GoFundMe appeal that raised less than half its target.
Hubbard was best known for playing Betty Thomas's adopted son, Fabian DeWitt, on Hill Street Blues, appearing in 14 episodes from season three through season seven (1983–1987). He also had guest roles on TV series including LA Law, Tribes, Cagney and Lacey, Pacific Blue, Trapper John MD, and Diff'rent Strokes.
The actor was hospitalized with breathing difficulties, fever and chills, and his condition took a turn for the worse after he developed and a rhinovirus infection, his sister Barbara Hubbard told the Daily Mail.
'Doctors immediately put him on antibiotics, he was unresponsive. He quickly developed heart and respiratory failure requiring intubation and when we were advised there was no chance of recovery, one of his sons made the heartbreaking decision to take him off life support,' his sister said.
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Hubbard was best known for playing Betty Thomas's adopted son, Fabian DeWitt, on Hill Street Blues
Zero Hubbard, who worked almost non-stop as a child star, died at the hospital nearly nine months ago - but his passing remained a secret, with no public obituary
Hubbard, born Zerondrick, took on many guest roles after Hill Street Blues before opportunities ran out by 2003
'Ultimately the decision rested in the hands of his son. But there were those family members, including me, who felt we were rushing to judgement and should give him more time, but sadly the decision was out of our hands.'
Hubbard's life was marked by tragedy. At just 16, his mother was shot and killed in a liquor store over a money dispute, and according to his sister Barbara, he carried the guilt with him until he died
While Hubbard, whose real first name was Zerondrick, played countless characters on screen, his own life often unfolded like a TV drama.
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'Sadly, Zero went to his grave blaming himself for our late mother's brutal murder,' said Barbara. 'Our mother raised nine kids in the Watts area of Los Angeles, and she often depended on welfare to care for us all.
'When Zero was 16, he had been working as an actor for a few years, and whenever his agent would send his checks, he would take them to the little corner liquor store to cash,' his sister said.
'He suggested mom take her welfare checks there too, and because she would walk home from the store with cash, she always carried a gun.
'One day, there was an argument over the fact that Zero owed the store a couple hundred dollars for something, and they wanted mom to pay.
Barbara said her brother was hospitalized with breathing problems, went into heart and respiratory failure, and when doctors saw no chance of recovery, his son decided to remove him from life support
After his mother was killed, Hubbard was taken in and later adopted by Betty Bridges, a well-respected acting teacher in the Black community and the mother of child actor Todd Bridges (pictured right with his mother)
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After being taken into the Bridges' home, he landed a role on an episode of Diff'rent Strokes, acting alongside Todd, who played Willis
Hubbard pictured with (from left) his sister Barbara's father, her daughter Timeca, and her niece Tanika. He was one of nine siblings
After Hollywood turned its back on him, Hubbard moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, to manage a health and massage spa. He married and divorced several times and was father to 10 kids
His destitute financial situation led the family to set up a GoFundMe to raise money for a memorial and cover funeral costs
Todd attended the memorial and helped pay for the service which was held in June
'From that moment on he became a part of her family.'
