HEARTBREAKING

Coroner Reveals ‘Empire’ Actress Lindsey Pearlman’s Cause of Death

An autopsy report shows the 43-year-old died of sodium nitrite toxicity, according to People.

Lindsey Pearlman, the actress known for her roles on Empire, Chicago Justice, and General Hospital, died of sodium nitrite toxicity in a death now deemed a suicide, according to People magazine. Citing an autopsy report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, the magazine reports that the coroner also found “the presence of non-toxic levels of lorazepam, metoclopramide, and codeine” in Pearlman’s system. The 43-year-old actress was reported missing by family back in February, and shortly after, she was found dead in a vehicle near the entrance to Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. “The police found Lindsey. She’s gone. I’m broken,” her husband, Vance Smith, announced in a heartbreaking post on Instagram at the time.

If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.