Garry Shandling’s cause of death was revealed on Tuesday, December 27, more than seven months after he died at the age of 66.
According to a Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office autopsy report obtained by TMZ, the comedian died of pulmonary thrombosis when a blood clot traveled from his leg into his lungs. He also had an enlarged heart, according to the autopsy, which lists the cause of death as “natural” and an “accident.”
Per TMZ, the documents state that Shandling “complained of leg pain and shortness of breath” on March 23, the day before his death, “and was told by a friend to go to the doctor.” At the time of his death, Shandling had Xanax and opiate painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone in his system, according to the autopsy results.
The Hollywood veteran died at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica on March 24 after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical emergency at his home. According to the autopsy report, Shandling called 911 “because he could not breathe and collapsed while on the phone.” He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Shandling was best known for his role as talk show host Larry Sanders in the HBO sitcom The Larry Sanders Show, which aired from August 1992 to May 1998. He also appeared in his own Emmy-nominated Showtime sitcom, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, and served as a guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
