James Gandolfini’s cause of death was a heart attack, the autopsy results have confirmed.
Since Gandolfini’s death shocked the entertainment industry late Wednesday, it has been assumed that a heart attack was to blame. He was only 51-years-old.
In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, family spokesman Michael Kobold confirmed many of the reports that have circulated in the hours since his death. “Today we received the results of the autopsy, which stated he died of a heart attack, of natural causes. The autopsy further states that nothing else was found in his system,” he said.
Gandolfini died while visiting Italy with his teenage son, Michael. Kobold said that he had visited The Vatican and was waiting in the hotel with his son for his sister. It has been reported that Michael was the one who called hotel staff to their hotel room.
Kobold also spoke with NBC News, saying that it could take up to 10 days for the body to arrive in the U.S. for a funeral in New York. The family is hoping to hold the funeral next Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
While the autopsy shows that there was nothing else in his system, the New York Post is reporting that he guzzled eight alcoholic drinks before his death. A source for the paper claims that he had been dealing with alcohol addiction during his last weeks.
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