Chris Farley was found dead on the floor of his flat in the John Hancock Building on December 18, 1997.
While his death was officially called an overdose, an issue with his heart also played a role in his demise. The medical examiner discovered that Farley’s heart was large and had “severe narrowing” of the arteries.
The condition of his coronary arteries were so poor that he should have received surgery to correct the problem. Dr. Timothy Erickson, director of University of Illinois at Chicago medical school and hospital’s medical toxicology division, explained that the drugs “weren’t [at] huge, lethal levels. … When you have a heart like he did, it doesn’t take a lot to push you over.”
The medical examiner also reported that the comedian had accidentally overdosed on cocaine and morphine. The toxicology tests showed that morphine, an opium-derived painkiller, and cocaine were discovered in his blood.
Additionally, fluoxetine, an antidepressant marketed under the brand name Prozac, and an antihistamine were detected in the blood samples, although they did not have any role in his demise.
Cook County Medical Examiner Dr. Edmund Donoghue stated in a statement that a significant contributing factor to his demise was a narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart muscle.
Farley’s autopsy report said that Edema and congestion were visible in both lungs, which is a sign of opiate intoxication. In addition, there was a fatty change in the liver, which is common in heavy drinkers. Likewise, after his passing, newspapers reported that he was seen binge drinking.
In 2014, his life and career were portrayed in a documentary named Autopsy: The Last Hours of Chirs Farley. People still talk about it and express their sadness about how he had a tragic ending on social media handles like Twitter and Reddit.