Paula Yates: Not a Suicide

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/17/1997 at 12:00 AM EDT

British TV personality Paula Yates, former partner of late INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence and rocker Bob Geldof, died from an accidental heroin overdose, not suicide (as had been earlier speculated), a coroner ruled yesterday. Yates, 41, was found dead in her London home on Sept. 17. She reportedly had suffered bouts of depression since Hutchence was found hanged in his Australian hotel room in November 1997. Several years ago, Yates had also struggled with drug abuse.