Coroner reveals sleep apnea among the causes for Star Wars star Carrie Fisher’s death | Hollywood - Hindustan Times
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Coroner reveals sleep apnea among the causes for Star Wars star Carrie Fisher’s death

Associated Press | By, Los Angeles
Jul 13, 2017 05:34 PM IST

Investigators were unable to determine the exact cause behind actor Carrie Fisher’s death but said she showed signs of having taken multiple drugs.

Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnea and a combination of other factors, but investigators were not able to pinpoint an exact cause, coroner’s officials said on Friday.

Carrie Fisher was best known as Princess Leia of Star Wars.
Carrie Fisher was best known as Princess Leia of Star Wars.

Among the factors that contributed to Fisher’s death was a buildup of fatty tissue in the walls of her arteries, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said in a news release. The release states that the Star Wars actor showed signs of having taken multiple drugs, but investigators could not determine whether they contributed to her death in December.

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Her manner of death would be listed as undetermined, the agency said.

This April 7, 2011 file photo shows Carrie Fisher at the 2011 NewNowNext Awards in Los Angeles. Officials say actress Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnea and a combination of other factors, but they could not conclusively determine what caused her death. (AP)
This April 7, 2011 file photo shows Carrie Fisher at the 2011 NewNowNext Awards in Los Angeles. Officials say actress Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnea and a combination of other factors, but they could not conclusively determine what caused her death. (AP)

The agency did not immediately respond to a request for additional details about whether a full autopsy report and toxicology results were available.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person’s breathing pauses during sleep. The pauses may be brief or last several minutes, according to information from the National Institutes of Health.

Fisher, 60, suffered a medical emergency on an international flight on December 23 and died four days later. Her mother, movie star Debbie Reynolds, died the following day.

The actors were laid to rest together at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills, a cemetery where numerous celebrities are buried.

Fisher’s brother, Todd Fisher, said he was not surprised by the results. He added that his family did not want a coroner’s investigation of his sister’s death. “We’re not enlightened. There’s nothing about this that is enlightening,” he said.

Los Angeles coroner's officials said in a news release late Friday, June 16, 2017 that Fisher had buildup of fat in the walls of her arteries. (REUTERS)
Los Angeles coroner's officials said in a news release late Friday, June 16, 2017 that Fisher had buildup of fat in the walls of her arteries. (REUTERS)

“I would tell you, from my perspective that there’s certainly no news that Carrie did drugs,” Todd Fisher said. He noted that his sister wrote extensively about her drug use, and that many of the drugs she took were prescribed by doctors to try to treat her mental health conditions.

Fisher long battled drug addiction and mental illness. She said she smoked pot at 13, used LSD by 21 and was diagnosed as bipolar at 24. She was treated with electroshock therapy and medication.

“I am not shocked that part of her health was affected by drugs,” Todd Fisher said.

He said his sister’s heart condition was probably worsened by her smoking habit, as well as the medications she took. “If you want to know what killed her, it’s all of it,” he said.

Todd Fisher said it was difficult to blame doctors who treated his sister because they were trying to help her.

“They were doing their best to cure a mental disorder. Can you really blame them?” Todd Fisher said. “Without her drugs, maybe she would have left long ago.”

Carrie Fisher made her feature film debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 hit Shampoo. She also appeared in Austin Powers, The Blues Brothers, Charlie’s Angels, Hannah and Her Sisters, Scream 3 and When Harry Met Sally ...

She will reprise her role as Leia Organa in the eighth instalment of the core Star Wars franchise, The Last Jedi, which will be released in December.

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