On January 9th, actor and comedian Bob Saget was found dead in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida.
His family released the following statement:
“We are devastated to confirm that our beloved Bob passed away today. He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter. Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world.”
Saget is survived by his wife, Kelly Rizzo, and his daughters from a previous marriage, Aubrey, Lara, and Jennifer.
The comedian was in the middle of his I Don’t Do Negative Tour, which had kicked off just two days before his death on January 7th. After his January 8th show in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Saget took to social media for what would become the last post he ever wrote.
Loved tonight’s show @PV_ConcertHall in Jacksonville. Appreciative audience. Thanks again to @RealTimWilkins for opening. I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight. I’m happily addicted again to this shit. Check https://t.co/nqJyTiiezU for my dates in 2022. pic.twitter.com/pEgFuXxLd3
— bob saget (@bobsaget) January 9, 2022
On February 9th, one month after the comedian’s passing, news broke about his cause of death. Many assumed he had a heart attack, seeing as he was found in his bed with no foul play involved. But it turns out, he died from an accidental head trauma.
The family released the following statement:
“Now that we have the final conclusions from the authorities’ investigation, we felt it only proper that the fans hear those conclusions directly from us. The authorities have determined that Bob passed away from head trauma. They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved.”
Following the release of the Saget family’s statement, Orange and Osceola Counties Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany confirmed the autopsy results and stated that his testing was complete. Stephany also shared heartbreaking details of his autopsy findings.
“In consideration of the circumstances surrounding the death and after examination of the body, toxicology analysis, histology, and a respiratory pathogen panel, it is my opinion that the death of Mr. Saget, was the result of blunt head trauma,” Stephany told Yahoo. “His injuries were most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall. A toxicology analysis did not reveal any illicit drugs or toxins. The manner of death is accident. Our condolences go out to Mr. Saget’s loved ones during this difficult time.”
PEOPLE reports that the Orange County Medical Examiner stated that the 65-year-old “had likely fallen backward and hit the back of his head. He had fractures to the back of his head and around his eyes at the time of his death.” In addition, “the actor had posterior scalp abrasions, subgaleal hemorrhage (which is blood that forms between skull and scalp), discoloration in the upper and lower eyelids due to skull fracture, subdural hematoma (which is a buildup of blood on the surface of the brain) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (which is bleeding in the space that surrounds the brain).”
TMZ reports that “authorities say it’s most likely Bob struck a portiond of the bed’s headboard that is not padded.”
Now, Saget’s widow and his three daughters are filing a lawsuit to prevent further details about his death from being released to the public. According to PEOPLE, they say any more information “would cause irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress.”
They’ve also requested that information and materials about Saget’s death to be taken out of public records. Find out more information on the lawsuit here.