Lance Reddick’s family dispute the actor’s confirmed cause of death

With rising excitement before the release of John Wick’s fourth installment also came the unfortunate news about the death of an iconic actor. Actor Lance Reddick, who played Charon, the concierge of the Continental Hotel, died at the age of 60 as per the reports by TMZ. His body was found at the backyard of his studio in Los Angeles on March 17 Friday and the cause of his death was believed to be Ischemic Heart disease and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

The Wire star’s unexpected death undoubtedly became a matter of grief for his fans, as well as inviting a lot of sympathy and condolences from his co-stars. So much so, that John Wick director Chad Stahelski and Reeves decided to dedicate the film to Reddick. Speaking on the subject, they shared:

“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick. He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with. Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, family, and friends. We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him dearly.”

Reddick’s representative put up a statement immediately following his death, which reads:

“Acclaimed actor Lance Reddick passed away suddenly this morning from natural causes. Lance was best known for his roles in The Wire, Bosch, Netflix’s Resident Evil and the John Wick films. He is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick and children Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick. Lance will be greatly missed. Please respect his family’s privacy at this time.”

Things took a new, surprising turn when Reddick’s attorney James Hornstein on Thursday disputed Reddick’s claimed cause of death. He spoke to People regarding the matter, saying:

“I have represented Lance Reddick for many years and continue to represent his wife Stephanie. The coroner statement on the death certificate is not a result of an autopsy. No autopsy was performed on Lance. To my knowledge, no medical examination of Lance during his lifetime ever indicated such conditions. Lance was the most physically fit person I’ve ever known. He exercised daily at his home gym, including extensive cardio work, and the availability of gym facilities was a contractual requirement for his work away from home. He ate as if a dietician was monitoring his every meal. The information appearing on the death certificate is wholly inconsistent with his lifestyle. On behalf of Stephanie Reddick, the death certificate information is not corroborated and is inconsistent with the facts known to the family.”

Despite the divided opinions about his cause of death, Reddick remains an accomplished actor who was — and still is — dearly beloved.