Teena Marie’s death could have been caused by a grand mal seizure — the same type of seizure she suffered a month before her death on Sunday, Dec. 26. Despite that, however, Marie reportedly stopped taking her medication because of the dramatic side effects.
Close family friends told TMZ that Marie has suffered other seizures in the past, but the November grand mal shook her up badly, even breaking two of her ribs.
“We’re told the L.A. County Coroner’s Office found the anti-seizure drug diazepam at Teena’s home, but friends say she had stopped taking the medicine because of side effects and began taking herbal remedies instead,” TMZ reported.
So frightened was she of having a seizure, Marie would have someone sleep next to her at night. Friends say on Saturday night someone slept in the same room with Marie and left in the morning. Teena was talking with her bodyguard at around 11:30 a.m. She went back to bed in the early afternoon — no one was with her when she slept. Teena’s daughter checked in with her at around 1 p.m. and Teena was fine.
But at around 3 p.m., Teena’s daughter checked in with her again, and found her unresponsive. The coroner has said signs point to death from natural causes. But “natural causes” could be death from a seizure. –terry shropshire
