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The Los Angeles Medical Examiners Office has released the cause of death of Carrie Fisher was due to sleep apnea and other contributing factors, as reported by ScreenRant. The LA Coroner will release the full report on Monday, but the official cause of death has been ruled undetermined in an official statement from the coroner. The coroner’s report cited atherosclerotic heart disease and a variety of drugs in her system, but no direct links to an immediate cause of death have been made at this time.
Carrie Fisher’s tragic death happened only a few day after suffering a heart attack while boarding a flight from London to Los Angeles in December of 2016. She was 60 years old.
Fisher was very open about her battles with bi-polar disorder and was an inspiration for many people who struggle with mental health disorders.
Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, released a statement to People addressing the coroner’s report:
“My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it. She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases. She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases. I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles. Seek help, fight for government funding for mental health programs. Shame and those social stigmas are the enemies of progress to solutions and ultimately a cure. Love you Momby.”
Fisher completed all of the filming required for her character for Star Wars: The Last Jedi before her passing. She was set to have a larger role in Episode IX, but it is still unclear how Lucasfilm will handle her character in the final film.
You can see Carrie Fisher in her iconic role of Princess Leia for the final time when Star Wars: The Last Jedi releases in theaters December 15, 2017.
Image: Lucasfilm/Disney
