Tommy “Tiny” Lister, who starred in Hollywood movies including Friday and The Fifth Element, died from heart disease, his autopsy confirmed.
The actor passed away in December 2020 at 62, and although tests showed he had coronavirus at the time of his death, a post-mortem examination determined his cause of death to hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
According to TMZ, the autopsy noted a nasal swab came back positive for COVID-19, and Lister was found to have fluid in his chest when he died, as well as an enlarged heart with high blood pressure, poor circulation in his legs and coronary artery disease.
The character actor’s manager, Cindy Cowan, previously revealed her client — who also had Type 2 diabetes — had displayed coronavirus-like symptoms in the days before his death but didn’t get tests because he’d had the virus four months earlier.
She previously said: “He got a positive result back about four months ago and obviously recovered from that.
“He thought maybe his diabetes was starting to kick up because he just wasn’t feeling right. He said, ‘I feel like I’m getting COVID again.’”
The late actor was doing “better than ever” before his death.
Cowan added: “He kind of was one of those people that used the lockdown to work out and get in the best shape ever.
“He actually looked the best he’s ever looked and I’ve never seen him more excited about what was coming next.”
She now regrets not forcing the actor to get tested for the virus.
Cowan said: “It’s remarkable and truly heartbreaking. All of us are kicking ourselves that we didn’t force him [to get tested] earlier.”
