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Leslie Jordan was reportedly suffering from shortness of breath in weeks leading up to his death

He had even made an appointment with a cardiologist, but not in time to save his life.

Grand Marshal Leslie Jordan addresses the crowd during day 1 of Nashville Pride 2022 on June 25, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Mickey Bernal / Stringer / Getty Images

It will likely be a few weeks before we know more about the untimely passing of beloved actor and comedian Leslie Jordan, who died suddenly on Monday morning after crashing his BMW into the side of a building in Hollywood. It’s believed that the 67-year-old suffered some kind of medical episode just prior to the crash, with a heart attack being the most likely culprit.

And according to TMZ, even more tragically, Jordan had indeed been experiencing symptoms before the incident that took his life, and had even reportedly made an upcoming appointment with a cardiologist to check for any underlying health issues.

“Sources close to the late actor tell TMZ … for the last 3 weeks, he was experiencing shortness of breath. We’re told Leslie was scheduled to see a cardiologist within the next week to check out his heart, and see if there were any underlying health issues.

Other than that, we’re told Leslie was generally healthy … but did have COVID last year.”

It’s easy enough to ask “what if” when something tragic happens — or to wonder what could have been done differently. In this instance, however, it’s almost impossible to not question whether Jordan would still be alive if he had gotten to see a doctor sooner.

But alas, that didn’t happen. In the wake of the news of Jordan’s passing, celebrities and fans alike took to social media to express their grief at having lost such a bright soul so abruptly, as Jordan was well known for lighting up any room that he walked into.

In addition to his main role in the Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, which he appeared in until the time of his death, Jordan appeared in dozens of TV and film roles over the course of his over 35-year career. Some of his other notable roles included Lonnie Garr on Hearts Afire, the sassy Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace (which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006), and various roles on Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story.

His presence in Hollywood will certainly be missed.

Stacey Ritzen
About the author

Stacey Ritzen

Stacey Ritzen is a Philadelphia-based reporter with 15 years of experience covering pop culture, entertainment, web culture, and news. She has previously worked for outlets including Uproxx, Pajiba, Daily Dot, and more.