A final message between a brother and sister has taken on a devastating new meaning following the sudden death of Disney Channel actress Carla Jeffery at just 33 years old.

Jeffery, remembered by millions of young viewers as the energetic cheerleader Bree Prattle in Disney’s Zombies franchise, died on Tuesday, September 1. Her longtime manager, Carla Alexander, publicly announced the news the following day.

No cause of death was disclosed.

As fans and former colleagues struggled to comprehend the unexpected loss, Jeffery’s twin brother, actor Carlon Jeffery, shared a deeply personal glimpse into their final communication.

Posted to his Instagram Stories, the screenshot showed a message filled with love, encouragement and an almost haunting promise of eternal protection.

Carlon began by asking his sister to call him back when she received the message. He had simply wanted to know how her day had gone.

“I love you to the moon and back,” he told her.

What followed was more than an ordinary exchange between siblings. Carlon praised his sister’s resilience, grace and infectious smile—the qualities that had apparently defined her both in front of the camera and away from it.

He reminded Carla that she possessed a special light capable of transforming a room and urged her never to allow anyone, including herself, to diminish it.

“The light you carry is special and must be protected at all times,” he wrote.

Carlon described her as the best sister a brother could ask for and expressed hope that they would continue growing closer as they moved through life together.

Then came the line that now carries unbearable emotional weight: “I got your back in this life and the next.”

At the time, those words were an expression of the powerful bond between twins. After Carla’s sudden death, they read almost like a farewell neither sibling realized they were making.

Jeffery had spent much of her life entertaining audiences.

She made her film debut at only 12 years old in the 2006 comedy Phat Girlz, starring Mo’Nique. That early appearance began a career that would eventually connect her with a generation raised on Disney Channel programming.

She appeared in popular television series including Shake It Up and Good Luck Charlie, as well as shows aimed at older audiences such as Suburgatory, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Scream Queens.

Her most recognizable role arrived with Disney’s Zombies franchise.

As Bree Prattle, Jeffery brought humor, enthusiasm and warmth to the supernatural musical world of Seabrook High School. She appeared in the first three Zombies movies, released between 2018 and 2022, alongside Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Chandler Kinney and Trevor Tordjman.

She later returned to voice Bree in the 2024 animated series Zombies: The Re-Animated Series, extending her connection to the character and the fans who loved her.

Following news of her death, Jeffery’s costars shared emotional memories of the woman they knew behind the colorful costumes and elaborate movie makeup.

Chandler Kinney remembered her as a sweet and sparkling presence whose positivity made every working day feel brighter.

Milo Manheim shared photographs from their time together and called Jeffery one of the kindest and most loving people he had known.

The tributes closely echoed her brother’s description. Again and again, friends remembered her through images of brightness—her smile, her warmth and the energy she carried into a room.

That consistency made Carlon’s final text even more affecting. It was not simply a grieving brother creating a polished public tribute after the fact. The message had been written directly to Carla while she was alive, showing that she had already been told how deeply she was loved and valued.

For fans, Jeffery will remain the lively performer who helped give Disney’s Zombies its heart. For her colleagues, she was the positive presence who made long days on set easier.

For Carlon, however, she was something far more personal: his twin, his sister and a companion whose life had unfolded beside his own from the very beginning.

Her death at such a young age leaves questions that have not yet been publicly answered. Her family and representatives have not announced the circumstances surrounding her passing, and speculation would risk overshadowing the life now being mourned.

What remains is the final message.

A brother called to ask about his sister’s day. He told her that her smile could illuminate a room, reminded her to protect the light inside her and promised that she would never face life alone.

He could not have known how soon those words would become a memorial.

But in one final text, Carlon Jeffery gave his sister something precious before losing her: the certainty that she was loved—to the moon and back, in this life and whatever may come next.