On June 29, 2006, a 6-month-old baby named Jayden Odom died in his crib from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). His mother, Liza Morales, was home when it happened. His father, NBA star Lamar Odom, was on the road for basketball, already in town for an aunt’s funeral.

Jayden’s death didn’t just take a baby’s life. It destroyed a family. It triggered an addiction that would nearly kill Lamar Odom nine years later. And it left two children—Destiny Odom and Lamar Odom Jr—growing up watching their father try to numb the pain with cocaine for the next 20 years.

On March 31, 2026, Netflix released “Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom,” and for the first time, the story of baby Jayden—and the devastation his death caused—is being told.

Who Was Jayden Odom?

Jayden Odom was born on December 15, 2005, to Lamar Odom and Liza Morales. He was their third child, joining his older sister Destiny Odom (born 1998) and brother Lamar Odom Jr (born 2002).

For Liza and Lamar, Jayden completed their family. They already had Destiny and Lamar Jr. Now they had their baby boy Jayden. The family felt whole.

But that wholeness would last less than seven months.

June 29, 2006: The Day Jayden Odom Died

On June 29, 2006, Liza Morales was home in New York with her children. Jayden, just 6½ months old, was sleeping in his crib.

And then he wasn’t breathing.

Jayden Odom died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)—an unexplained syndrome that sometimes kills infants under the age of 1 while they sleep. There’s no warning. No explanation. No way to prevent it.

Liza was home when Jayden died. She was the one who found him. She was the one who lived through every parent’s worst nightmare.

And Lamar? He was on the road for basketball. He was already in New York for the funeral of an aunt. Now he had to bury his infant son too.

What Is SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)?

SIDS stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It’s the sudden, unexplained death of an infant under 1 year old—usually during sleep. Despite decades of research, doctors still don’t fully understand what causes SIDS.

It’s every parent’s nightmare. And it’s exactly what happened to Jayden Odom.

How Jayden’s Death Destroyed Lamar & Liza’s Relationship

Liza Morales and Lamar Odom had been together for 10 years when Jayden died. They had three children together. They had built a life.

But grief doesn’t always bring people together. Sometimes it tears them apart.

According to those close to the family, Jayden’s death was the beginning of the end for Liza and Lamar. Lamar couldn’t process the grief. He turned to cocaine. He started disappearing. He became unreliable.

Liza was left alone—raising Destiny Odom and Lamar Odom Jr while mourning the loss of baby Jayden and watching her partner spiral into addiction.

By 2008—two years after Jayden’s death—Liza and Lamar’s relationship was over.

Lamar Odom: “Jayden’s Death Unlocked a Vault I Couldn’t Control”

In Netflix’s “Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom,” Lamar is brutally honest about what happened after Jayden died.

He said Jayden’s death is when he “unlocked a vault he couldn’t control.”

That “vault” was cocaine addiction.

Lamar described his first hit of cocaine as “amazing.” But he also admitted it opened something inside him that he couldn’t shut down. What started as a way to numb the pain of losing Jayden became a 20-year addiction that would nearly kill him.

How Grief Triggers Addiction

Lamar Odom’s story isn’t unique. Grief—especially the sudden, traumatic loss of a child—is one of the most powerful triggers for substance abuse.

Parents who lose a child to SIDS often struggle with:

• Guilt (even though SIDS is not preventable)
• Depression
• PTSD
• Substance abuse as a coping mechanism
• Relationship breakdown

For Lamar, cocaine became the way he coped with losing Jayden. And for the next 20 years, Destiny Odom and Lamar Odom Jr would watch their father battle that addiction.

How Jayden’s Death Affected Destiny & Lamar Jr

When Jayden died, Destiny Odom was 8 years old. Lamar Odom Jr was 4 years old.

They were old enough to know their baby brother was gone. But they were too young to understand why.

And over the next 20 years, they would watch their father destroy himself trying to cope with that loss.

Destiny Odom: Losing a Brother, Watching Her Dad Spiral

Destiny has said that her childhood was marked by instability. Her father was there one day, gone the next. High one moment, sober the next. Promising to change, then disappearing again.

Jayden’s death set that cycle in motion. And Destiny spent her teenage years watching it play out.

Lamar Odom Jr: Too Young to Remember Jayden, Old Enough to See the Damage

Lamar Jr was only 4 when Jayden died. He doesn’t have clear memories of his baby brother.

But he lived with the consequences of Jayden’s death every single day. He watched his father spiral. He watched his mother, Liza, raise him and Destiny alone. He grew up knowing that addiction and grief had stolen the father he deserved.

October 2015: Lamar Odom Nearly Dies—Nine Years After Jayden

On October 13, 2015—nine years after Jayden’s death—Lamar Odom was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel.

He had suffered:

• 12 strokes
• 6 heart attacks
• Multiple organ failure

Doctors said he might never walk or talk again. He was in a coma. His family didn’t know if he’d survive.

And Destiny and Lamar Jr—now 17 and 13 years old—had to face the reality that they might lose their father the same way they’d lost their baby brother Jayden.

The Connection: Jayden’s Death → Lamar’s Addiction → The 2015 Overdose

Lamar has been clear: Jayden’s death in 2006 is what triggered his cocaine addiction. And that addiction is what led to the 2015 overdose that nearly killed him.

Jayden’s death didn’t just take one life. It nearly took two.

Jayden Odom’s Legacy: 20 Years of Pain

Jayden Odom lived for 6½ months. But the impact of his death has lasted 20 years.

His death:

• Destroyed Liza and Lamar’s relationship
• Triggered Lamar’s cocaine addiction
• Left Destiny and Lamar Jr growing up with an absent, addicted father
• Nearly killed Lamar in 2015
• Created trauma that the family is still processing in 2026

In Netflix’s documentary, Lamar, Liza, Destiny, and Lamar Jr all speak about Jayden. About the baby they lost. About the grief that never fully goes away.

2026: The Family Jayden Left Behind

Lamar Odom is 46 years old and reports being 56 days sober as of March 2026. In January 2026, he was arrested for DUI in Las Vegas—a reminder that his battle with addiction is ongoing.

Liza Morales raised Destiny and Lamar Jr through Jayden’s death and Lamar’s addiction—mostly alone. She’s moved on but will never forget.

Destiny Odom (28) has rebuilt a fragile relationship with her father. She never got to grow up with her baby brother Jayden or with a sober dad.

Lamar Odom Jr (24) works with his father in recovery but knows relapse is always possible. He barely remembers Jayden but has lived with the consequences of his death his entire life.

Final Thoughts: Remembering Jayden Odom

Jayden Odom was born on December 15, 2005. He died on June 29, 2006. He lived for 6½ months.

But his death changed everything. It destroyed a family. It triggered an addiction. It left two children growing up without the father they deserved.

On March 31, 2026, Netflix released a documentary that finally tells Jayden’s story—and the 20 years of pain his death caused.

Rest in peace, Jayden Odom. You were loved. You are remembered. And your short life had an impact that will never be forgotten.