Cloris Leachman's cause of death has been revealed three weeks after she left the world in mourning. The Emmy Award-winning actress died at age 94 from a cerebrovascular accident, commonly known as a stroke, but it turns out that Leachman was also battling COVID-19, according to her death certificate that was released on Thursday by the County of San Diego.
The coronavirus was a significant condition that contributed to her death, but it did not directly cause the stroke, according to Entertainment Tonight. Leachman was cremated on Feb. 7 and her daughter, Dinah Englund, is keeping the remains at her residence in Encinitas, California.
Leachman died on Jan. 27 with Englund by her side. Her manager, Juliet Green, confirmed the news to People.
"It's been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time. There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic," Green said in a statement.
"She loved her children and her grandchildren ferociously. A lifelong vegetarian, she was a passionate advocate for animal rights. The family requests that any donations in her name be made to PETA or Last Chance for Animals," she continued.
In wake of her death, co-star Ed Asner, who appeared alongside Leachman on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," shared memories of the late star with ET.
"I'll carry my memories to my grave. I loved her. She was a sweet mama," Asner told the outlet last month. "She was a free cat. She was just marvelous, a marvelous actress. And she would come up with some wonderful ideas."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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