Sepsis and Celebrities

Many celebrities and public figures have been affected by sepsis. Some survived their bout with the disease, but others died. Sepsis is an equal opportunity illness – it can affect anyone of any social status, age, ethnicity, or beliefs.

All too often, however, the media that report celebrities illnesses or deaths from sepsis fail to say the word. They often say that the person has died of complications of pneumonia, surgery, or cancer, for example. If someone has died of an infection, such as pneumonia or the flu, or an infection from surgery, he or she has died from sepsis. If someone develops an infection serious enough that they must be treated in the hospital with IV fluids and antibiotics, chances are that they have sepsis.

Below is a list of celebrities who Sepsis Alliance knows have had sepsis or believes they did due to the news reports. If you know of any celebrities that you feel should be added to this list, please send the information to info@sepsis.org.

Suggested Citation:
Sepsis Alliance. Sepsis and Celebrities. 2024. https://www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/celebrities/

Updated June 30, 2025.

Likely Sepsis Cases By Illness:

Bacterial Infection

Ashley Park, actress – treated for tonsillitis that progressed to sepsis
Donald Norcross, U.S. Congressman – treated for a gallbladder infection that progressed to sepsis

To learn more about bacterial infections and how they can cause sepsis, visit Sepsis and Bacterial Infections.

Cancer

Paul Allen, Co-Founder of Microsoft – died
Ron Piche, former Montreal Expo pitcher – died of “cancer and blood poisoning” in 2011 (baseball)
Ray Price (Country star Ray Price back in hospital with sepsis) – died
Charlie Robinson, actor – died
Lura Lynn Ryan, Illinois former first lady – survived first bout with sepsis, later died of “complications from cancer”
Susie Steiner, author – died
Cory Wells, musician – died
John Wetton, musician – died

To learn more about how people with cancer can be at higher risk of contracting infections and developing sepsis, visit Sepsis and Cancer.

Cellulitis

Jon Huntsman, philanthropist – died
Rusty Staub, baseball player – died

To learn more about what cellulitis is and its connection to sepsis, visit Sepsis and Cellulitis.

COVID-19

Nick Cordero, actor – died
Larry King, TV personality – died
Cloris Leachman, actor – died of stroke, but coroner said COVID-19 was “significant condition”
Pranab Mukherjee, former president of India – died

To learn how COVID-19 can lead to sepsis, visit Sepsis and COVID-19.

Dental Infection

Mike Williams, former NFL player – died

To learn how infections in your mouth can lead to sepsis, visit Sepsis and Dental Health.

Diabetes

Paul Jackson, bassist with Herbie Hancock – died

To learn about how diabetes increases your risk of developing infections that can lead to sepsis, visit Sepsis and Diabetes.

E coli

Hugh Hefner – died
Lily Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp

To learn more about intestinal E. coli and how it can lead to sepsis, visit Sepsis and Intestinal E Coli Infections.

HIV

Fred Hersch, Jazz pianist and composer

Learn more about HIV and how it can increase your risk of developing sepsis at Sepsis and HIV/AIDS.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Tyler James Williams, actor (Crohn’s disease)

Learn more about how IBD can increase your risk of developing infections that can lead to sepsis at Sepsis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Infected Wound

Casey Kasem, radio personality, voice over actor – died
Christopher Reeve, actor – died of anaphylactic shock
E-Dubble (Evan Sewell Wallace), rapper – died
Mother Theresa, infected pacemaker line, survived but died years later of other causes
Chris Young, singer
Calvin Coolidge Jr., President Calvin Coolidge’s youngest son, infected blister – died

Learn more about bacterial infections at Sepsis and Bacterial Infections.

Influenza

Quintana Roo Dunne, daughter of author Joan Didion – died
Ken Flach, professional tennis player – died
Mary Louise Parker, actor

Learn how the flu can cause sepsis at Sepsis and Influenza.

Intestinal Infection or Perforated Bowel

Socrates, Brazilian soccer player (captain) – died
Patty Duke, actor – died

Learn how a perforated bowel can lead to infection and sepsis at Sepsis and Perforated Bowel.

Maternal Sepsis

Lily Allen, British singer
Kathryn Fiore, UK actress
Rebecca Adlington, UK Olympic swimmer

Learn about how pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum infections can cause sepsis at Sepsis and Pregnancy & Delivery.

Meningitis

Amy Purdy, actress and athlete

Learn how bacterial, viral, and fungal meningitis can cause sepsis at Sepsis and Meningitis.

Necrotizing fasciitis

Lynn Collins, actress – also had pneumonia

Other

Stephen Colbert, TV talk host, “blood poisoning” after burst appendix
Paul Di’Anno, singer
J. Charles Jones, civil rights activist – died
Eli Leon, psychologist, scholar – died
Kyle Lowry, basketball player
Eddie Money, musician (Barrett’s esophagus)
Fernando Valenzuela, former pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers – died
Heather O’Rourke, actress – died
Ignaz Semmelweis, physician who pioneered infection control to reduce postpartum sepsis deaths
Jessye Norman, opera singer – died (following a spinal cord injury)
John McCutcheon, singer (lung infection)
Denis O’Brien, film maker – died
Mel Tillis, singer – died
Robert Trebor, actor – died
Marcus “Kutfather” Tufono, DJ – died
Rudolf Valentino, actor – died

Pancreatitis

Robby Steinhart, musician with the band Kansas – died

Peritonitis

Harry Houdini, magician – died

Pneumonia

Marty Allen, comedian – died (reported as pneumonia)
Christian Brando – died
Chuck Brown, singer – died
Fast Eddie Clarke, musician – died
Lynn Collins, actor, also had necrotizing fasciitis
Jeff Conaway, actor – died
Nicole DeHuff, actor – died
R Lee Ermey, actor – died
Ken Flach, professional tennis player – died
Whoopie Goldberg, TV personality
Corey Haim, actor – died
Angelica Hale, singer
Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets – died
Trish Keenan, singer -died
Bernie Mac, actor – died
George Michael, singer
Steve McMichael, former NFL player
Rudy Moreno, comedian – died
Prince Ranier of Monaco, “chest infection” – died
Leslie Nielson, actor – died
William L. O’Neill, historian and author – died
Kim Porter, actress, model – died
Wayne Rogers, actor – died (reported as “complications of pneumonia”)
Lawrence Welk, musician – died

Learn how pneumonia can lead to sepsis at Sepsis and Pneumonia.

Surgery

Bobby Darin, singer – died
Danielle Campo McLeod, paralympic gold medalist
Jamie-Lynn Sigler – actor

Learn how surgery can cause infections, during and after the procedure, that can lead to sepsis at Sepsis and Surgery.

Toxic Shock Syndrome

Audrey Leishman, wife of pro golfer Marc Leishman
Alex Smith, professional football player

Learn how toxic shock syndrome can lead to sepsis at Sepsis and Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Unknown

Neil Adams, creator of Batman and the X-Men – died
Muhammad Ali, boxer – died
Joshua Bassett – actor
DuShon Monique Brown, actress – died
George H.W. Bush, former President of the United States
Dennis Caplinger, musician – died
Christopher Cazanove, actor – died
Steve Curry, actor – died
Brian Dennehy, actor – died
Robert L. Drew, Filmmaker and journalist – died
George Genovese, baseball scout – died
Elizabeth Irving, mother to athlete Kyrie Irving – died
Kenny Jönsson, NHL player
Paul Kantner, singer
Larry King, talk show host
Jonathan Koch, film producer
Steve Mackay, musician (the Stooges) – died
Rita McNeil, Canadian singer, possible: “from complications of surgery after a recurrent infection” – died
Burt Metcalfe, TV producer – died
Steven Rumbelow, writer and director – died
Charles L. Schulze, economist – died
David Sherwin, screenwriter – died
Grace Slick, singer, septic shock
Anne Love Smith, mother of actress Julianne Moore – died
Anna Nicole Smith, model – died
Dan Snyder, National Hockey League player – died
Yolanda Sonnabend, theater designer and painter – died
Dave Thomas, comedian
John Vinocur, foreign correspondent, reporter, and editor – died
Deborah Donnelly Wahlberg, sister of actor Mark Wahlberg – died
Dean Winters, actor (bacterial infection)
lke Wyludda, German Olympian
Jay Youngblood (Steven Nicky Romero), professional wrestler -died

Upper Respiratory Infection

Robbie Coltrane, actor – died

UTI

William (Bill) J. Clinton, former President of the United States, due to E. coli
Etta James, singer – died
Pope John-Paul II – died
Tanya Roberts, actress – died
Brian Wilson, singer (Beach Boys) – died

Learn how the common UTI can lead to sepsis at Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections.

Related Resources

Allison B.

Ten months ago on a Tuesday, I developed what I thought were cold symptoms – a sore throat, low grade fever (100) and a swollen lymph node in my neck. Overall I felt okay, it wasn’t anything too unusual. By Thursday, my lymph node was VERY swollen. I called my doctor’s office, and they gave me some suggestions over the phone to help my throat, etc. Later that night, my fever went up to 103. On Friday, one of the doctors finally agreed I should be seen. He tested me for Covid and flu, but not strep because my throat ... Read Full Story

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Nicole Ireland

Two weeks after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl I ended up in the ER with severe septic shock. (Sepsis and Pregnancy & Childbirth) There were hours the doctors were unsure what was wrong with me and told my husband to prepare for the worst and asked if I would want lifesaving measures taken. I spent 10 days in the hospital, some of that time spent in the ICU after emergency surgery. There was nothing worse than having to be fighting for my life away from my sweet newborn baby girl. Even years later I deal with the reality ... Read Full Story

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Linda Jones

My mom , Linda Marie Jones, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from septic shock on Sunday, June 23, 2024. She went to two hospitals between June 19th-June 21st for back pain, and was misdiagnosed at both. The first hospital she went to on Wednesday (June 19th) released her early Thursday morning, despite her urine showing a possible UTI, pending cultures. (Sepsis and Urinary Tract Infections) She should not have been released. Those doctors should have done a further workup and put 2 and 2 together and realized something was more critical than just general back pain, giving her symptoms, age, ... Read Full Story

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Cheryl Pedersen

I’m a 64 year old woman, who loved to camp, swim and paddle in her kayak. In Aug 2022 I had a laminectomy for a herniated disc in my lumber spine. I have rheumatoid arthritis and have been on immunosuppressant drugs for a few years. I stopped them 10 days prior to surgery. I felt immediately better. Eleven days later I started to feel weak and generally unwell. On Day 12 I suddenly developed chills and a fever. I’d never had chills before. I looked on my discharge paperwork and my symptoms fell under the reasons to call the surgeon. ... Read Full Story

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Paul Hoium

On December 10 2023, I started feeling a little short of breath and very tired and weak. Since I also have congestive heart failure, I was monitoring these symptoms closely. Things worsened over the next couple of days until the 12th on which date I realized I could barely breathe and so weak I could barely make it to the phone to call for an ambulance. I remember the firefighters lifting me on to a gurney and into the ambulance and them talking about my O2 level being 79 and that would prove to be the last coherent memory I ... Read Full Story

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Sepsis and Celebrities

Likely Sepsis Cases By Illness:

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