Nine years have passed since the world lost Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher, who was 60 years old at her time of death in 2019.
Fisher’s life came to a tragic end on December 27, 2016, after she suffered a cardiac arrest on a flight heading to Los Angeles. She passed away shortly thereafter; tragically, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, also passed away the following day at age 84.
Several months following her death, distressing details emerged. According to The Los Angeles Times, the toxicological analysis conducted on Fisher revealed the presence of substances such as cocaine, methadone, MDMA (ecstasy), alcohol, and opiates at the time she was admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Hospital on December 23. She succumbed to her condition four days later.
The toxicology report indicated exposure to heroin, although it could not determine the precise dose or timing of intake. As such, the impact of heroin on her death could not be conclusively determined. Additionally, it was established that cocaine had been consumed within 72 hours prior to her hospitalization.
Fisher’s cardiac arrest occurred on December 27. Despite doctors’ efforts to resuscitate her for 90 minutes, they were unsuccessful. Her official cause of death was noted as sleep apnea, with other conditions such as atherosclerotic heart disease and drug use also contributing.
Billie Lourd, Fisher’s daughter and sole child, also an actress, shared with PEOPLE her mother’s lifelong battle with drug addiction and mental health issues. “My mom fought against drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately succumbed to them. She always discussed the societal stigmas associated with these illnesses openly in her work,” Lourd expressed in her statement.
Throughout her career, Fisher never hid her struggles with addiction. In discussions promoting her autobiography Wishful Drinking, she told the Associated Press about her numerous stints in psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation clinics, and even an incident where she was treated for an overdose. “We did cocaine on the set of [The] Empire [Strikes Back], specifically in the ice planet scenes,” Fisher recounted, according to The Guardian. “I wasn’t very fond of cocaine. I often used it simply as a means to an end for getting high.”
Fisher also shared an anecdote about John Belushi, who died from a drug overdose in 1982, warning her that she needed to seek help. “Gradually, I realized I was consuming more drugs than others and was losing control over it,” she explained. “Had my addiction been to alcohol, I probably would have died much earlier, because you can simply go out and buy it anytime.”
Hi, I’m Emily, a passionate and dedicated member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a keen eye for detail and a love for writing, I ensure that the latest celebrity news, major economic trends, and helpful tips for your home are presented in the most engaging and informative way possible. Fun fact: During a particularly exciting news story, I once managed to finish an article in record time, fueled solely by copious amounts of coffee and pure adrenaline!
