03:47 AM EDT 03/06/2012
Untimely Deaths
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Whitney Houston's Body Was Found in the Bathtub
Originally posted 02/12/2012 09:10PM
It will be another six to eight weeks before it's determined what killed singer Whitney Houston at age 48, a Los Angeles coroner official said Sunday.
"We need additional testing," Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter told reporters. "We won't make that final determination until all the tests are in."
Citing a security hold on the case, Winter would only confirm that Houston's body was found in the bathtub in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton.
"There were no visible signs of trauma on the body," he said.
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Friend of Rita Hayworth's Grandson Does Not Believe He Killed Himself
Originally posted 12/08/2011 11:30AM
Though reports claim the death of Rita Hayworth's grandson appears to be a suicide, a friend of Andrew Embiricos does not believe he killed himself.
"The reports are not true," Jake Dingler tells PEOPLE of speculation his friend – who was found dead Sunday in his New York City apartment in bed with a plastic bag over his head – committed suicide.
"I spent the last eight hours of his life with him and he was very happy and looking forward to all of the events coming up," Dingler says. "We were going to Amsterdam on Friday for his 26th birthday. We were having brunch with his mother the following morning and we had a lot of great things to look forward to."
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Michael Showers Battled Depression Before Drowning, Coroner Says
Originally posted 08/26/2011 03:45PM
Actor Michael Showers, whose body was found in the Mississippi River this week, died of drowning, according to the Orleans Parish coroner's office.
It was also revealed that Showers, 45, was battling depression and anxiety and had been diagnosed in March with multiple sclerosis, according to The Times-Picayune.
There were no signs of trauma to his body, and authorities are awaiting results for toxicology tests for drugs and alcohol, said John Gagliano, the coroner’s office chief investigator.
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The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Taylor Armstrong: How She's Coping with Russell Armstrong's Suicide
Originally posted 08/18/2011 04:15PM
In the wake of her estranged husband's suicide on Monday, a "devastated" Taylor Armstrong is now grieving in private.
"She's not talking to anyone, she's not leaving the house at this point," a source tells PEOPLE.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star released a statement Tuesday requesting privacy in order to comfort her daughter Kennedy, 5.
"Taylor is behind closed doors, surrounded by her family," a source tells PEOPLE. "She's with Kennedy."
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Mike DeStefano Dies
Originally posted 03/07/2011 03:50PM
Comedian Mike DeStefano, who was a finalist on Last Comic Standing, died of a massive heart attack Sunday night at age 44.
"I am deeply saddened to hear about Mike. He was not only an outstanding comic but more importantly a wonderfully warm human being who deeply cared about people," Last Comic Standing executive producer Peter Engel said in a statement Monday. "We will all laugh a bit less because of losing Mike."
DeStefano's death was first confirmed by friend of the comedian's family to Punchline Magazine.
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Black Eyed Peas Offer 'Moral Support' to Bandmate after Family Tragedy
Originally posted 02/06/2009 11:20AM
With bandmate apl.de.ap still reeling from the murder of his half-brother, Joven Pineda Deala, 21, in the Philippines on Tuesday, the Black Eyed Peas are rallying around him.
"[We're] being there for him, just being his brother – Fergie, she's not his brother but a sister – and guiding him emotionally," will.i.am said Thursday night at the 5th Annual Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation Benefit Concert Presented by Adobe Youth Voices in L.A.
"It's tough, it's scary," added will.i.am, 33, noting that the band is "also providing moral support to him and his family."
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Coroner: Dr. Dre's Son Died From Overdose of Heroin and Morphine
Originally posted 01/02/2009 03:05PM
Dr. Dre's son, Andre Young Jr., died from an overdose of heroin and morphine, the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday.
"This case has been closed, it's been ruled an accident due to morphine and heroin intoxication," coroner spokesman Larry Dietz told PEOPLE. The drug test results had been pending for four months.
Young, 20, was found unresponsive by his mother, Jenita Porter, 40, in their Woodland Hills, Calif., home on the morning of Aug. 23.
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Showbiz Stars Mourn Isaac Hayes
Originally posted 08/12/2008 02:40PM
Isaac Hayes was a kind and gentle man who left a huge mark before his death in Memphis on Sunday at age 65, his many celebrity friends tell PEOPLE.
"Isaac Hayes helped pave the way for so many artists like myself," says Ashanti, who sampled his song, "The Look Of Love," in her hit, "Rain on Me."
"I also had the honor of meeting him several times – he was always so sweet like an older uncle," she says.
"He was a warm, gentle soul," agrees his pal Richard Roundtree, who played the slick title character of the 1971 movie, Shaft, for which Hayes's movie theme song won both an Oscar and a Grammy.
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