Yahoo News Tom Petty's cause of death announced by his family
Legendary rocker Tom Petty's family have confirmed what led up to his death.
The Heartbreakers frontman passed away suddenly last October at age 66 from a suspected cardiac arrest, leading to tributes from many of his famous friends and legions of fans worldwide.
Three months on, a statement from his family released on Facebook on Friday (January 19) confirmed that a coroner's report found that Tom suffered an "accidental drug overdose" from taking multiple medications.
"Unfortunately Tom's body suffered from many serious ailments including emphysema, knee problems and most significantly a fractured hip," a statement from his daughter Adria and wife Dana read.
"Despite this painful injury he insisted on keeping his commitment to his fans and he toured for 53 dates with a fractured hip and, as he did, it worsened to a more serious injury.
"On the day he died he was informed his hip had graduated to a full on break and it is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his over use of medication.
"We knew before the report was shared with us that he was prescribed various pain medications for a multitude of issues including Fentanyl patches and we feel confident that this was, as the coroner found, an unfortunate accident."
The Petty family expressed their hopes that by going public with the cause of Tom's death, they will raise more awareness for the "opioid crisis" that only seems to be worsening.
"On a positive note we now know for certain he went painlessly and beautifully exhausted after doing what he loved the most, for one last time, performing live with his unmatchable rock band for his loyal fans on the biggest tour of his 40 plus year career. He was extremely proud of that achievement in the days before he passed," his family wrote.
"We continue to mourn with you and marvel at Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' incredible positive impact on music and the world. And we thank you all for your love and support over the last months.
"Thank you also for respecting the memory of a man who was truly great during his time on this planet both publicly and privately.
"We would be grateful if you could respect the privacy of the entire Heartbreaker family during this difficult time."
Petty performed his final concert only a week before his passing, having headlined at the Hollywood Bowl in front of a star-studded audience on September 25.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
You Might Also Like
