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Jerry Lewis died of heart disease, coroner confirms

Lewis… died from heart disease following years of ill health – Credit: People
Lewis… died from heart disease following years of ill health – Credit: People

The legendary Hollywood comedian Jerry Lewis died of heart disease, it’s been confirmed.

The Clark County Coroner said yesterday that the official cause of death was end-stage cardiac disease due to peripheral vascular disease, according to the Associated Press.

After many years of ill-health, he died at his home in Las Vegas surrounded by his family early on Sunday morning, at the age of 91.

Lewis was a stage and screen icon for decades, known for movies like ‘The Bellboy’, ‘The Nutty Professor’ and ‘The King of Comedy’, as well as his famous double act with Dean Martin.

He was also known for his philanthropic work, most notably the Labor Day telethons he would host in the US in aid of children with muscular dystrophy.

They would bring in a host of stars from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to Frank Sinatra, and would end with Lewis singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.

It’s thought that he helped to raise over $2 billion to help raise awareness of the disease thanks to the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethons, screened from 1966 to 2010.

Celebrity fans flooded Twitter with tributes following the news of his death.

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