The cause of death for Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of Hank Williams Jr., has been revealed.
Thomas, 58, died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery the day before.
The finding was revealed by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner as well as an autopsy report, both obtained by People, which noted that the cause of death was listed as accidental.
According to the autopsy, Thomas' cause is listed as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure."
She was undergoing a procedure to have fat transferred as part of a breast lift following a breast implant removal when her surgeon punctured the parietal pleura, a membrane bound by connective tissue to the chest wall's inner surface. As a result, her lung collapsed.
The former model, who lived in Nashville, was cleared by physicians in her hometown to undergo liposuction as well as to remove previous breast implants, according to the Medical Examiner's report, which noted that the procedures were performed at Bafitis Plastic Surgery in Jupiter, Florida.
On March 21, at around 7 p.m., Thomas was released from the facility and taken to a recovery facility where, according to the report, she was documented as "sitting up in bed, speaking normally." The next day, however, she "suddenly" became unresponsive, the report stated. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead in the emergency room.
Thomas' surgeon said her vitals were normal, according to the medical examiner's report, and she was administered Lovenox, an anticoagulant. Several other findings were listed in the autopsy report, including mild brain swelling, mild coronary artery disease, and fatty metamorphosis of the liver, People noted.
Thomas and Williams exchanged vows in 1990, after meeting at a concert in 1985. They shared son Samuel and daughter Katherine, who died in a car crash in 2020.
"My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her," Samuel wrote in a statement to People.
"She had a smile and presence that lit up every room, and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend," he continued. "Her spirit was gentle and giving.
"She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time! Now she gets to radiate from above with my sister Katherine Diana right by her side," Samuel added, referencing his late sister.
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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