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Lisa Maria Presley -

Lisa Marie Presley passed away on January 12, 2023, at the premature age of 54. Her sudden death shocked the world as reports circulated that she had gone into cardiac arrest at her home, leading to speculation that she suffered from heart disease like her father, Elvis Presley. Her true cause of death was finally revealed seven months later. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner found that she died of small bowel obstruction—a complication that arose from a weight loss surgery she underwent in the past. Scar tissue from the surgery caused a blockage in the small intestine to develop, which, without surgery, can cause the tissue to die or perforate, leading to death. Presley reportedly complained of abdominal pain on the morning of January 12 and later went into cardiac arrest, caused by the bowel obstruction. She was rushed to hospital but died within a few hours. A toxicology report noted that there were standard therapeutic levels of certain drugs in her system such as oxycodone and an anti-psychotic called quetapine metabolite. However, they aren't believed to have contributed to her death and the coroner ruled that she died of natural causes. 

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Aaron Carter -

When news of Aaron Carter's untimely death broke on November 5, 2022, the singer's history of addiction led many to assume he died of an overdose. Months later, the autopsy conclusions have finally been made public. Like many stars before him, it appears that Carter accidentally drowned in the bath after taking a dangerous mixture of intoxicants. The report revealed that Carter had taken alprazolam, a version of Xanax, and had also inhaled difluoroethane. Difluoroethane is a chemical found in cans of compressed air which, when inhaled, creates a short but intense high. It's incredibly dangerous and considered poisonous. The combination of these prescription drugs and the inhalants caused Carter to pass out in the bathtub, where he was later found unresponsive by his housekeeper. 

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Aaron Carter - Carter was a former child star who grew up in the spotlight, performing as an opening act for the Backstreet Boys—the band that featured his older brother Nick Carter. As he got older and embarked on a successful solo career, Carter began to have issues with drug dependency and entered rehab multiple times. He filed for bankruptcy in 2013, and in 2019, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with a number of mental health conditions. His relationship with his family became strained and his brother filed a restraining order against him. In 2022, just a couple of months before his death, Carter went to rehab for the fifth time in an attempt to regain custody of his infant son. He and his ex-fiancée, Melanie Martin, lost custody due to concerns about domestic violence and drug abuse. 

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Bob Saget -

Beloved comedian and 'Full House' star Bob Saget passed away unexpectedly on January 9, 2022. A month later, his cause of death was made public. The 65-year-old was found dead in his Florida hotel room during a comedy tour of the US. The autopsy revealed that he died of a head trauma. It's believed that the actor must have fallen and hit his head, thought it wasn't serious, and subsequently died in his sleep. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. It was a tragically simple accident. 

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Prince -

The world mourned the loss of the talented artist on April 21, 2016. Prince's body was found in an elevator at his Paisley Park home.

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Prince -

The autopsy revealed that Prince had died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a potent opioid painkiller. The shocking detail is how much of it was found in Prince's liver. The singer had a concentration of 450 micrograms per kg. As little as 70 micrograms per kg can be fatal!

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Amy Winehouse -

The British singer joined the "27 Club" on July 23, 2011. Winehouse was found dead in bed, with a few bottles of vodka nearby.

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Amy Winehouse -

The singer's autopsy revealed that she had 416 mg of alcohol per 100 ml in her blood. FYI: 350 mg alone is enough to cause breathing stoppages. The autopsy revealed that Amy Winehouse essentially drank herself to death.

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Robin Williams -

The Oscar-winning actor and comedian sadly left us on August 11, 2014. He had been battling mental health issues for many years and he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

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Robin Williams -

Death by asphyxiation was how Williams took his life. Antidepressants and a drug for Parkinson's was found in his system, but the autopsy also revealed that the actor didn't actually have Parkinson's disease. Instead, Williams had Lewy body dementia, which has similar symptoms and it's often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's.

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Paul Walker -

The 'Fast and Furious' star died in a horrific car crash on November 30, 2013. The actor was riding as a passenger in a Porsche Carrera GT when he died.

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Paul Walker -

According to the Los Angeles County Coroner, the actor's body was found in a "pugilistic stance," meaning that Walked died with his arms up, trying to protect his head and face. The cause of death was determined as "combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries."

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Carrie Fisher -

Carrie Fisher will always be remembered for her iconic character Princess Leia in the 'Star Wars' original trilogy. The actress passed away on December 27, 2016.

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Carrie Fisher -

The actress went into cardiac arrest during a flight and was rushed to hospital in LA, dying shortly after. The official cause of death was sleep apnea, but a toxicology review revealed that Fisher had a shocking cocktail of drugs in her system. These included alcohol, methadone, cocaine, MDMA, and opiates.

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Brittany Murphy -

Better know for her roles in movies from the '90s and early 2000s movies, the actress died of a seemingly treatable condition: pneumonia.

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Brittany Murphy -

A coroner's report cited that Murphy's menstrual flow triggered anemia (iron deficiency), which left her immune system weak and unable to fight off the viral infection. Though four years after Murphy's death, her father, Angelo Bertolotti, commissioned a lab report. High amounts of heavy metals were found in a hair sample, which raises the possibility that Murphy might have been poisoned. This possibility, however, was discarded by Bruce Goldberger, a toxicologist who directs UF Health Forensic Medicine at the University of Florida.

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Heath Ledger -

'The Dark Knight' (2008) actor passed away on January 22, 2008 in New York City.

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Heath Ledger -

The autopsy revealed that Ledger had died of an accidental overdose caused by a cocktail of prescription drugs. The actor died of an "acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine," according to the New York City medical examiner's office.

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Michael Jackson -

The world was in shock when the news broke out that the "King of Pop" had died on June 25, 2009.

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Michael Jackson -

The cause of death was a deadly dose of propofol (a powerful anesthetic), which had been prescribed by his physician Conrad Murray (who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter). Though more drugs were actually found in MJ's system, including midazolam, diazepam, lidocaine, and ephedrine. The autopsy also revealed that there was nothing "anatomically wrong" with the singer that would have caused his death.

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Cory Monteith -

The 'Glee' star left us on July 13, 2013. The actor was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada.

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Cory Monteith -

The coroner's report mentions a "spoon with drug residue and a used hypodermic needle" as well as "two empty champagne bottles." Monteith died of an overdose caused by a mixture of alcohol and heroin.

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Brandon Lee -

In a tragic accident, Bruce Lee's son died was shot by a prop gun on set, while filming 'The Crow' (1994).

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Brandon Lee -

A .44-caliber bullet was found in the actor's spine. The real bullet had reportedly been used for a close-up shot but it was not properly disposed of.

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David Carradine -

The actor, famed for his martial arts roles, was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room on June 3, 2009.

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David Carradine -

David Carradine was found hanging with a rope around his neck and private parts. He was wearing fishnet stockings and a wig. Indeed, the scene suggested that he died due to a intimate act gone wrong. The cause of death was asphyxiation, an inability to breathe," said the forensic pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden.

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Tawny Kitaen -

You probably remember the actress and model best for movies such as 'Bachelor Party' (1984), and for starring in Whitesnake videos in the '80s (she was married to the band's singer, David Coverdale). Kitaen passed away on May 7, 2021.

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Tawny Kitaen -

Kitaen's autopsy revealed that she died of dilated cardiomyopathy (a type of heart disease). Plus, numerous medications were found in her body (mostly antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds), including mirtazapine, mirtazapine metabolite, alprazolam, acetaminophen, pregabalin, and hydrocodone.

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Johnny Lewis -

Lewis is known for starring in numerous shows, including 'Sons of Anarchy' (2008-2014). The actor passed away on September 26, 2012.

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Johnny Lewis -

The actor fell to his death from a terrace after killing his 81-year-old landlady. There was no evidence that he jumped or that he was pushed. Nor was he under the influence of alcohol or drugs. As unlikely as it sounds, Lewis' death was determined to be completely accidental.

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Heather O'Rourke -

The young 'Poltergeist' (1982) actress sadly passed away at the age of 12, on February 1, 1988.

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Heather O'Rourke -

O'Rourke was taken to hospital after experiencing severe abdominal pain and died during an emergency surgery. According to the Children's Hospital of San Diego, the cause of death was intestinal stenosis—a severe bowel obstruction she had from birth. The obstruction caused an infection that caused septic shock, which resulted in cardiac and pulmonary arrest.

Sources: (Grunge) (Nicki Swift) 

See also: TV and film tragedies: cast and crew who died on set

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