Carl Weathers' Cause Of Death Is Finally Clear

A little over a week after the family of Carl Weathers shared the sad news that they were grieving the loss of the beloved "Rocky" star, his cause of death has been revealed. According to a report by The Blast, Weathers' death certificate says that he died from complications of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) shortly after midnight on February 2, 2024. According to the American Heart Association, ASCVD is the buildup of plaque in the arteries. It can cause several potentially deadly health events, including strokes, heart attacks, and aortic aneurysms.

Another health condition Weathers suffered from was a back injury that he sustained while working on a movie. Surprisingly, it didn't happen when he was sparring with Sylvester Stallone while in character as boxer Apollo Creed. Weathers told British GQ he was filming a stunt for the 1996 Adam Sandler comedy "Happy Gilmore" when he landed awkwardly on his spine. "I didn't know it until years later, but I fractured two vertebrae and osteophytes grew out and connected and it did a kind of self-fuse in a really bad place," he said. He experienced severe pain for years but was advised against surgery. Luckily, the pain eventually waned, and Weathers was able to get back to work without dealing with such a terrible distraction.

In his later years, Weathers delighted "Star Wars" fans by joining the cast of "The Mandalorian" series, and one of his other final acting roles was in a Super Bowl LVIII ad.