David Gail’s Cause of Death: New Details Revealed 1 Month After His Passing
New details about the ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ star’s passing have emerged, following his death at 58 in January.
Update (2/26/24 1:37 p.m. ET): David Gail’s death at 58 was drug-related according to a new statement by his publicist on Sunday, February 25. His publicist revealed that his passing came from a brain injury called anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The condition came after he was resuscitated from cardiopulmonary arrest from drug-intoxication, with substances including cocaine, ethanol, amphetamines, and fentanyl.
David’s mother Mary Painter also released a statement, explaining that he became “reliant on substances,” after undergoing multiple surgeries. “He lived in enough pain to prevent him from working for almost a decade, with relief only achieved through full disability, physical therapy and pain medicine,” she said, via People. “David’s death shines a light on the countless innocent victims of pharmaceutical addiction and the fentanyl epidemic that has taken so many of our sons and daughters.”
Original Story (1/22/24): A cause of death has been revealed for Port Charles and Beverly Hills, 90210 actor David Gail, who died on January 16. According to a statement shared by a rep for the actor’s family, David died of “complications from sudden cardiac arrest.” The rep explained in the statement that after David had been discovered unresponsive, and attempts at CPR and defibrillation were made, he was placed on life support. He was finally pronounced dead several days later.
“The family has no reason to suspect the cause of his death was anything but heart failure,” the rep explained in the statement, per PEOPLE. “David will be remembered for his love of acting and his absolute passion and dedication to his friends and family. He possessed a unique quality that made everyone feel special in his presence.”
David’s sister, Katie Colmenares, took to Instagram to announce her brother’s death in a heartbreaking social media post on Saturday. “There’s barely been even a day in my life when you were not with me by my side always my wingman always my best friend ready to face anything and anyone w me the bears will never be the same but I will hold you so tight every day in my heart you gorgeous loving amazing fierce human being missing you every second of every day forever there will never be another,” she wrote alongside a breaking heart emoji. She also shared a sweet throwback photo of herself hugging David on a porch.
The actor memorably played Stuart Carson, the fiancé of Shannen Doherty‘s Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 in the early to mid 1990s, and the role of Dean Collins in Savannah from 1996 until 1997. He also once said he’d be willing to return to his most prominent role. “Anytime you want to do it again, I’m here,” he said during an appearance on Pete Ferriero’s Beverly Hills 90210 Show podcast.