Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Rip Torn cause of death: Actor died of Alzheimer's dementia, certificate says

'Men in Black' star died in July

Clémence Michallon
New York
Friday 13 December 2019 10:04 EST
Comments
Rip Torn at the premiere of 'Bee Movie' on 28 October, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.
Rip Torn at the premiere of 'Bee Movie' on 28 October, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Rip Torn’s cause of death has been revealed.

The actor, best known for his roles in Men in Black and The Larry Sanders Show, died in July aged 88.

A death certificate obtained by TMZ shows that Torn died “due to” Alzheimer’s dementia – which indicates that the actor died of complications from the condition.

The document also states that the disease had been ongoing for “years” prior to his death.

Back in July, Torn’s publicist said the actor had died at home with his wife and daughters by his side.

Will Smith, Alec Baldwin and others paid tribute to Torn and his six-decade career in film and television.

Torn won an Emmy in 1996 for his role on The Larry Sanders Show.

His performance as Marsh Turner in Cross Creek earned him an Oscar nomination in 1983.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Torn played Chief Zed in Men in Black and reprised the role in Men in Black II.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in