Nearly five months after the death of Friday star Anthony Johnson, an autopsy report has revealed that the 55-year-old died from years of hard drinking, TMZ reports.
The medical examiner has attributed Johnson’s cause of death as “chronic ethanol use.” That being said, the manner of death was natural, as no traces of alcohol or common drugs were found in his system when a toxicology test was ran. The coroner’s office did find that Johnson had recently tested positive for COVID-19, though no signs of pneumonia were detected.
Johnson’s widow, Lexi, told the outlet that she plans on creating a foundation in Anthony’s name, and wants his cause of death to be public knowledge in order to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol.
As previously reported, Johnson’s nephew found the 55-year-old actor unresponsive inside a Los Angeles store in September. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Shortly after his death, Lexi started a GoFundMe page in an effort to help cover burial and service costs.
“We’re raising money because I have to pay for this all out of pocket,” she told TMZ at the time. “I’m asking for help but if I don’t get it, that’s fine. I’m not leaving my husband in there like that. We’re gonna have a service. I’m gonna do everything I know he would have done for me. It’s just hurtful, you know. I would not be asking if we had it or if we had a policy.”
After landing the role of E.Z.E. in the hit 1990 comedy House Party, Johnson went on to star in several television shows and films, including 1992’s Lethal Weapon 3, 1993’s Menace II Society, 1995’s Friday, and 1998’s I Got the Hook-Up. The comic-actor also made cameos in TV shows like Martin and Malcolm & Eddie.
