Samuel Monroe Jr., the actor best known for his role in the 1993 classic “Menace II Society,” is on life support as he continues a serious battle with meningitis. 

According to a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Monroe’s wife, Shawna Stewart, said he contracted the illness about 18 months ago while working in Las Vegas, but repeated misdiagnoses at several hospitals allowed it to go untreated for eight months. By the time he received the proper diagnosis, the infection had spread to his brain and spine, and Monroe is now on life support. 

Monroe’s family says he has been fighting for his life for the past nine months and is now in critical care. He is being treated in a Southern California hospital, with the prognosis still unclear, while family members continue to receive daily updates on his condition. 

Meningitis is a serious, potentially life-threatening infection that causes inflammation in the fluid and membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can spread through close contact with an infected person, including respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. Symptoms may include fever, a severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.

Monroe’s family has also launched a GoFundMe to help with mounting medical bills and to support his children, Kingston and Brooklynn, during the ordeal. In the fundraising note, the family said that if Monroe regains consciousness, he will likely require around-the-clock care for a year or more. 

The actor, 52, built a memorable film and television résumé throughout the 1990s and beyond, appearing in projects including “Set It Off,” “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood,” “The Players Club,” “Out All Night,” and “NYPD Blue.” For many fans, he remains one of the recognizable faces of that era of Black film and TV.