George Michael tragically passed away on Christmas Day. Now, his official cause of death has been revealed. According to Oxfordshire, England’s senior coroner, Darren Salter, the 53-year-old Wham! singer died of natural causes as the result of heart and liver diseases.
In a statement, the coroner said, “As there is a confirmed natural cause of death, being dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver, the investigation is being discontinued and there is no need for an inquest or any further inquiries.” Police have closed their investigation into Michael’s death as a result of the coroner’s report.
According to the British Heart Foundation, dilated cardiomyopathya stretches and thins the muscle of the heart until it is no longer able to efficiently pump blood through the body. It’s a condition that can be inherited or brought on by viruses, unchecked high blood pressure, or excessive alcohol consumption. Mycocarditis is a separate disease that causes inflammation of the heart.
Fatty liver can be the result of alcohol abuse or fat and sugar consumption, with non-alcoholic forms of the disease typically found in overweight or obese individuals.
Shortly after Michael’s death, his manager, Michael Lippman, stated he believed the pop star had died from heart failure. “I think his body just gave up. All these years, it was just weak,” Michaels’ former partner Kenny Goss told The Sunday Mirror prior to the coroner’s report. “We just want closure, we want the funeral to happen, it’s been a long time now.” The funeral had been put off while the coroner and police conducted their investigations.
