Carrie Fisher's death triggered by sleep apnoea and other factors
The Star Wars actress ‘ultimately’ died of drug addiction and mental illness, her daughter says
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.Carrie Fisher's death was triggered by sleep apnoea and various other factors but an exact cause could not be determined, a coroner has said.
Her daughter Billie Lourd said she “ultimately” died of drug addiction and mental illness after the coroner on Friday said the Star Wars actress had taken multiple drugs before her death.
The sleep disorder and a build-up of fatty tissue in her arteries were among the issues recorded as factors.
The Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner added that “multiple drug intake” was how the “injury occurred” but said that its significance could not be determined.
In a statement to People magazine, Lourd said: “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.”
Fisher, 60, was taken ill on a flight to Los Angeles from London, where she was filming for British sitcom Catastrophe, in December.
The actress had long spoken about her battles with drug addiction and mental illness, becoming a particularly prominent voice for those who are bipolar.
The coroner recorded her death as “undetermined” and also noted she had atherosclerotic heart disease, where the heart's arteries harden and narrow.
No more information was released by the coroner, nor were questions answered about whether a full postmortem examination report and toxicology results were available.
A spokesman said a further statement would be released next week.
Sleep apnoea is a common condition in which a person stops breathing in their sleep.
There are two types of the disorder: obstructive, where the throat's walls relax and narrow during sleep, and central, where the brain fails to prompt the body to breathe.
Both conditions can increase this risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Fisher, who found fame playing Princess Leia in Star Wars, died in hospital on 27 December. Her movie star mother Debbie Reynolds died the following day.
The pair were laid to rest together in a cemetery in Hollywood Hills.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments