Update: Actor Jeff Conaway Dies at Age 60
Credit: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage
Actor Jeff Conaway passed away at 10:30 a.m. Friday morning at age 60, his manager, Phil Brock, confirmed to Us Weekly in a statement.
"He was taken off life support yesterday afternoon," Brock said. "His sisters, nieces, nephews and ministers were by his side when life support was removed. On a personal note, we were his representatives for the last 8 years and we loved him as a person, respected him as an consummate entertainer and performer."
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Conaway was hospitalized on May 11 for what was initially thought to be a prescription drug overdose. (It was later revealed that he was suffering from pneumonia and sepsis, a dangerous blood infection.) He remained in a comatose state for over two weeks until his death. "There are no funeral plans yet," manager Brock said.
After numerous guest appearances on TV shows like Happy Days, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Kojak Conaway rose to fame thanks to a role in the 1978 classic musical Grease, in which he played Kenickie, confidant to Danny Zucko (John Travolta). That same year, he also joined the cast of beloved TV show Taxi, playing struggling actor/cab driver Bobby Wheeler for four seasons.
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He went on to land roles on soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (1989 to 1990) plus the sci-fi series Babylon 5 from 1994 to 1998, and appeared in such films as 1988's Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark, 1999's Jawbreaker and 2001's Do You Want To Know A Secret.
He began using drugs in the mid-1980s, and by 2008, he appeared on VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Pinsky, where he sought treatment for addictions to cocaine, painkillers and alcohol.
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Conaway frequently threatened to quit the show and refused to end his relationship with his co-dependent girlfriend, Vikki Lizzi, who also abused prescription opiates. The star had been married twice: to Rona Newton-John, sister to his Grease costar Olivia Newton-John, from 1980 to 1985; and to Michelle Conaway in 1990 (although long separated, the couple's divorce records were never unearthed).
On May 20, Pinsky tweeted that his former patient was "stable and looks like he will recover from his pneumonia." By the next day, however, Pinksy asked fans for their well wishes. "We all need to pray for him," he wrote. "[He's] not doing well today suddenly."
""As much as we hate to lose Jeff, his personal struggles are now over. We know he is in a better place," Brock told Us. "We know somewhere in heaven an angel is welcoming a 'hickie from kenickie.'"
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31This is very sad...I was an acquaintance to Jeff. Is and was a very sweet man. What is more sad is seeing the hurtful comments about him being a "jerk" or implying that he was a loser. He wasn't. :/ He was a kind man with a zest for life. He was a little sickly and this eight years ago. Guess you just never really know, until you stumble upon trash like this, that make money of of someones death that you knew. THAT, is more pathetic and sad. :/ Shame on YOU who did this. RIP, my friend.
Jeff Conaway was not much more than a jerk who could sing and dance. How many others like him have died in the same pitiful manner, strung out on drugs and booze for decades? http://bit.ly/k6JfCy
You're finally free from the "chains that bound" you. Fly Angel, fly.
I caught up with producer Tommy Parker for an interview on his friend Jeff Conaway's unfortunate death. I can't post a link on here but if you search Jeff Conaway Tommy Parker on YouTube you can find it.
Thank you Erin, you said it in a much more intelligent and articulate way than I did. I wish people would just wake up, instead of continuing to be in denial about drugs, and I'm not just talking about illegal drugs, switching from abusing street drugs to RX drugs is not Ok. And you will eventually die from it.
Brittany, you are absolutely right. Manda, you are delusional. My profession is the medical profession. I am an RN and have worked on oncology and med surg units. To think that his years of drug abuse did nothing to his body is just plain stupid. The years of abuse on his liver and kidneys alone is catasrophic which are both organs that filter not only drugs but also infection. When they are shot due to substance abuse over years they are not effective thereby they are not able to fight off infection like they should. Also, one does not "beat" addiction. Get you head out of your a$$. It is a constant battle. Like Brittany stated, one does not typically die from pneumonia at 60 and unless you are already in a hospital setting with a recent surgery or undergoing some type of immunosuppressive therapy such as chemo one does not typically aquire sepsis. I am sure there were drugs in his system, probably just not a lethal dose.
I didn't say he died of a drug overdose but to act like his YEARS of drug abuse/addiction did not cause his early death is irresponsible and just plain stupid. AND how exactly do you know he had beaten his drug addiction? I highly doubt he was completely clean at the time he got sick. And guess what? Prescrption drugs kill you too. But that's just the problem with our society, pill poppers and morons who believe there is nothing wrong with it, is a lethal combo. No, no, you just die young of pneumonia, that's completely normal. Um, no it's not.
Actually Brittany, he didn't die a drug addict. He had beaten his addiction. His body may have been effected by his years of drug use but it says he officially did not die of a narcotic drug overdose. So unless you're a ME, stick to your profession and let the medical professionals make those calls.
RIP Kenickie, hope you give some hickies in your next life :)
this man is finally at peace.........sad life.
Oh, ok Stefanie. You're soooo smart. I guess it's just a "coincidence" that these people were drug addicts when they died! ***Roll Eyes*** Let's just continue our denial and act like drugs are just great! You won't die of the DRUGS, you'll just die of pneumonia and sepsis (caused by the years of drug abuse) but anyway, NOT the drugs! Please.
This man was talented, sad day.
Can you read, Brittany?? Pneumonia and sepsis. And you might want to go and read the autopsy results on Brittany Murphy and Corey Haim...because you're wrong about them too.
Rest in Peace and glad to know you are finally free of all your pain and addictions.
Kenickie died! That's so sad! Rest In Piece!
life is what we choose to make of it! re: we can either live to be healthy and free or ill and chained! re: re: this late great actor decided to do both and-or to be in control of how he would later die! aka, not to let the hands of fate, be the one to decide! *god speed, jeff as taxi, god speed
he finally "beat his addiction and died from something else"? WTH?! Are you serious? Oh, yea, like Brittany Murphy, Corey Haim, and countless others, huh. Please he died a drug addict. Truly sad.
A hickey from Kenickie is like a halmark card RIP
RIP Jeff, you were a great actor
The only positive is that he is finally out of physical and emotional pain. Very sad, he seemed like a good guy but such a tortured soul. That horrible girlfriend Vikki most likely contributed to his death.