Carrie Fisher Cause Of Death Revealed: Sleep Apnea

The Los Angeles county coroner announced that Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnea and “other factors.”

The coroner’s office released a short summary of its findings, but officials declined to make any additional comments. The statement said “the manner of death has been ruled undetermined.”

Among the factors that contributed to Fisher’s death was buildup of fatty tissue in the walls of her arteries, a news release late Friday said.

The release also states that the Star Wars actress showed signs of having taken multiple drugs, but investigators could not determine whether they contributed to her death in December. “Multiple drug intake, significance not ascertained,” were the words they used.

Billie Lourd, Fisher’s daughter, issued a statement to People magazine Friday night linking her mother’s death to drug use.

“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,” Lourd said.

Fisher’s brother, Todd Fisher, said he didn’t think there was anything new in the coroner’s brief statement.

His sister’s battle with drugs and bipolar disorder “slowly but surely put her health in jeopardy over many, many years,” he said. “I honestly hoped we would grow old together, but after her death, nobody was shocked.”

A longer, more detailed report will probably become available Monday, the coroner’s office said.