Sidney Poitier’s cause of death has been released less than two weeks after the groundbreaking actor’s death.
The legendary entertainer, who was the first black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, died from a combination of heart failure, Alzheimer’s dementia and prostate cancer, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ on Tuesday. He was 94.
The death was reported to the coroner’s office, but a biopsy and autopsy were not performed, the record stated. He died at home in Beverly Hills on Jan. 6.
Sidney Poitier’s occupation was listed as an actor for 76 years and the document also showed he served in the armed forces.
Poitier was survived by his wife of 46 years Joanna Shimkus Poitier.
The Bahamian-born icon’s death was first announced by Bahamas Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell.
Chester Cooper, the Bahamas deputy prime minister, also told the Guardian he was “conflicted with great sadness and a sense of celebration when I learned of the passing of Sir Sidney Poitier.”
‘“We have lost an icon; a hero, a mentor, a fighter, a national treasure,” he added.
Sidney was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 66 in 1993, but was able to beat the disease after successfully undergoing surgery. His struggles with Alzheimer’s dementia were not as publicly known.
In 2017, his family gathered to celebrate his then-90th birthday, and he appeared in good spirits in a photo from the party.
“He’s one of the most eloquent curse-word users,” his godson Mike Jordan admiringly said at the time. His grandson Etienne Gouraige added, “He knows how to make a room explode.”