Carrie Fisher death cause unclear

Report cites sleep apnea, drug use and other factors

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County coroner’s office on Friday listed the cause of death for “Star Wars” star Carrie Fisher as “sleep apnea and other undetermined 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.”

In addition to the listed cause of death, the coroner’s statement cited “other conditions: atherosclerotic heart disease, drug use.”

It also said: “How Injury Occurred: Multiple drug intake, significance not ascertained.”

It’s unclear from the report what role drugs played in her death. But Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, 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 told People.

Fisher, 60, was taken to the hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics in December after falling ill during her 11-hour flight from London to Los Angeles International Airport.

Before arrival, a pilot told the control tower that nurses onboard were attending to an “unresponsive” passenger.

“They’re working on her right now,” the pilot said in a public recording of the conversation on liveatc.net.