Hugh Hefner's Cause of Death Includes Cardiac Arrest and Infections, Death Certificate Shows
The obtained death certificate of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner shows that he also suffered from several infections after ultimately succumbing to a cardiac arrest.
Hefner passed away at age 91 at the famous Playboy Mansion on Sept. 27. About a week after his death, TMZ was able to obtain a copy of his official death certificate that stated the businessman had also suffered from a number of infections for days.
The document, which was released on Wednesday, from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health showed that Hefner also experienced respiratory failure before passing away due to cardiac arrest.
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Meanwhile, the Playboy founder and publisher also suffered from a condition called septicemia or blood infection as well as E. Coli. Along the lines of the latter, health officials also cited that Hefner had developed a resistance to antibiotics which possibly worsened the case.
The official document also showed Hefner struggled with both infections in a matter of six days before his respiratory system failed and suffered cardiac arrest.
In other news, film maker Brett Ratner recently confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he was helming a biopic on the life of Hefner. He also revealed that he had chosen actor Jared Leto to portray the late publishing tycoon.
"Jared is an old friend," Ratner told THR. "When he heard I got the rights to Hef's story, he told me, 'I want to play him. I want to understand him.' And I really believe Jared can do it. He's one of the great actors of today."
Unfortunately, Leto did not have the chance to personally meet and converse with Hefner when the actor was invited to the Playboy Mansion for the premiere of "American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story" produced by Amazon held along with Hefner's 91st birthday because the businessman was already very ill at the time.
However, Ratner remains confident that Leto will do a great job portraying Hefner and said: "There's enough footage on Hef out there that Jared will be able to get as much information as he wants."
Hefner's widow, Crystal Harris, and four children held a private memorial service for Hefner last weekend as the Playboy founder was buried next to actress Marilyn Monroe – a location which Hefner reportedly bought for $75,000 back in 1992.
