Lance Waldroup was an American television personality who rose to fame for starring in the reality show Moonshiners. The show revolves around the lives of alcohol distillers working in western North Carolina. Lance appeared on the show alongside his dad, Jeff Waldroup, for 55 episodes from 2012 to 2019.
Despite lacking experience in the art of alcohol distillation, Lance was a popular figure on Moonshiners. He regularly turned to Jeff for advice, but by the time he left the show in 2019, he was one of the best. Lance made moonshine, a local high-proof liquor, as well as absinthe and scotch.
This piece will look at Lance’s sudden demise. The cause of Lance Waldroup’s death is unclear.
Lance’s mom discovered his lifeless body roughly four hours after their last conversation
Lance Waldroup passed away on 25th February 2021 in Robbinsville, North Carolina, aged 30. Discovery announced Lance’s death via Moonshiners’ social media accounts on 2nd March 2021. “We are saddened to hear about the loss of Lance Waldroup,” the post reads. “And adventurous distiller who was featured alongside his father throughout the early seasons of Moonshiners.”
The network didn’t reveal the cause of Lance’s death, but a GoFundMe page started to raise money for Lance’s memorial described his death as ‘unexpected.’ TMZ later revealed that Lance’s mom, Lynn Cape, discovered Lance’s lifeless body four hours after their last conversation.
First responders found Lance dead on top of his bed. There were no signs of foul play at the scene, but authorities aren’t ruling it out before performing an investigation. Lance’s GoFundMe has gained plenty of traction, and the family will likely raise the targeted 15K. Lance left Moonshiners to take care of his mother after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The family depended on Jeff’s income as the diagnosis put Lance and Lynn out of work. Unfortunately, Jeff lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic. Strapped for cash and intending to give Lance a decent send-off, the family has turned to the internet for help. Part of the GoFundMe description reads:
“We would like to give back to the Waldroup family in this time of need. We are looking to help raise as much money as possible in the next few weeks to be able to present to the family a proper burial. It is moments like these to help get one of our own through this most difficult time.”
Lance turned to drugs after the death of his siblings due to Cystic Fibrosis
Lance’s siblings, Lyndsey and Lamar, both passed away due to Cystic Fibrosis. Lyndsey passed away when she was 11, and Lamar died when he was 20. Lamar’s battle with the disease involved a lung transplant.
Lance turned to drugs and eventually became addicted as he suffered under the weight of crippling ‘Survivor’s Guilt.’ Thankfully, Lance embraced rehab got clean. The GoFundMe description states:
“This left Lance with no siblings. Lance suffered from extreme ‘Survivor’s Guilt’ and he eventually turned to drugs. He was an addict for several years and then decided to turn his life around. He went to rehab and had become a recovered addict.”