Norman Lear’s Cause of Death Revealed

Legendary TV producer Norman Lear died of cardiac arrest. Two weeks after the award-winning creator of All in the Family and The Jeffersons died in his Los Angeles home on Dec. 5 at the age of 101, a death certificate obtained by TMZ revealed that Lear died from cardiopulmonary arrest, or cardiac arrest. The certificate from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office also listed cognitive heart failure as an underlying cause of death.

Lear’s passing was confirmed by his representatives in a Dec. 6 news release, which said the 17-time Emmy nominee and six-time winner died a day earlier. His family also confirmed the news in a statement shared on Lear’s official Instagram account alongside a black-and-white photo of the TV icon, as seen below.

“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people-those he just met and those he knew for decades-who kept his mind and heart forever young,” the statement read. “As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.”

Lear was considered a groundbreaker in the entertainment industry who was credited with revolutionizing the TV landscape beginning in the 1970s and beyond with politicized sitcoms such as All in the Family. He also helped diversify network television with showslike The Jeffersons and Good Times. His other series included Sanford & Son, Mary Hartman, Maude, and Fernwood 2 Night/America 2 Night, among many others.

Following her husband’s death, Lear’s wife Lyn Lear paid tribute to him at the 2023 Sentinel Awards. In a statement read by Marty Kaplan, the founding director of the Norman Lear Center, Lyn, who did not attend the awards, said, “I would have been there tonight if not for the passing of our beloved Norman.” She added that her husband “was so proud of the work of The Lear Center and Hollywood Health and Society. And he would not have wanted all of us to mourn. He would want us to celebrate the important shows you are honoring tonight, and most of all … he would want us to laugh.” Many others in Hollywood also paid tribute, including George Clooney, who starred in Lear’s The Facts of Life, All in the Family‘s Rob Reiner, Friends‘ Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, President Joe Biden, and more.