Late actor Brad Renfro had a secret son who lived in Japan with his mother.

The Apt Pupil star, 25, was found dead at his Los Angeles apartment last week (15Jan08).

And now his family have confirmed that Renfro had a child - who he spent time with in his native Tennessee before his tragic death - but have refused to name the boy or reveal any further details in order to protect his privacy.

And Renfro’s step-mother Kim is determined to shield her grandson from any press intrusion.

She tells TMZ.com, "We did expect this (level of media attention) because people didn’t know he had a son. But we’re very thankful Brad got to see his son before he died."

The Los Angeles County Coroner conducted an autopsy on Renfro on Thursday (17Jan08), but the cause of death has yet to be revealed.