Lance Reddick’s cause of death disputed by actor’s family as “wholly inconsistent with his lifestyle”

Lance Reddick’s attorney has issued a statement denying reports that he died from heart and artery diseases, slamming them as being “wholly inconsistent with his lifestyle”.

The actor and musician, best known for his roles in The Wire and the John Wick series, died on March 17 at the age of 60. Representatives said at the time he died from natural causes, however no specific details were made public.

According to an coroner’s report published earlier this week by TMZ, there were two immediate causes for Reddick’s death: ischemic heart disease and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The American Heart Association describes the former as “a condition in which blood flow (and thus oxygen) is restricted or reduced in a part of the body”, and the latter as a buildup of “plaque in arteries in or leading to the heart”.

Reddick’s attorney, James Hornstein, has now slammed the report as baseless, claiming the coroner’s statement as it appears on his death certificate “is not a result of an autopsy”, and that “no autopsy was performed” on him to begin with.

Hornstein spoke on behalf of Reddick’s widow, Stephanie – whom he continues to represent as attorney – saying in a statement shared to People that “the death certificate information is not corroborated and is inconsistent with the facts known to the family”.

Hornstein argued that Reddick was unlikely to have either of the conditions listed on his death certificate. “To my knowledge,” he said, “no medical examination of Lance during his lifetime ever indicated such conditions. Lance was the most physically fit person I’ve ever known. 

“He exercised daily at his home gym, including extensive cardio work, and the availability of gym facilities was a contractual requirement for his work away from home. He ate as if a dietician was monitoring his every meal. The information appearing on the death certificate is wholly inconsistent with his lifestyle.”

Alongside his tenure in film and TV, Reddick was acclaimed for his role as Commander Zavala in the Destiny series. Shortly after reports of his death emerged, players of Destiny 2 started convening at The Tower in-game to pay their respects. The game’s developer, Bungie, later revealed that Reddick still has “performances yet to come” in the game.