Michael Madsen's Cause of Death Revealed

UPDATE Jul 18, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

Michael Madsen's cause of death has now been officially confirmed as cardiac arrest, per a death certificate for the actor obtained by TMZ. The LA County Medical Examiner lists cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, chronic alcoholism, and thromboembolic disease (blood clots that cause vessels or arteries to be obstructed) as contributing factors. TMZ reports the actor had been in recovery from alcoholism and sober for months prior to his death, and that he'd undergone a medical imaging procedure called a coronary angiography in May. A friend previously told the gossip site he'd seen Madsen a week before his death and the actor seemed to be in good health, having just been to a routine medical appointment to have his rotator cuff assessed for possible surgery.

Jul 9, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

Michael Madsen's death at age 67 was caused by heart failure, the actor's cardiologist tells NBC Los Angeles. The frequent Quentin Tarantino collaborator was found unresponsive at his Malibu home last week and he was pronounced dead there. His cardiologist says heart failure will be listed as cause of death with heart disease and alcoholism listed as contributing factors, and that no autopsy will be carried out because Madsen had been under his treatment at the time and he signed the death certificate. Madsen's manager confirmed the NBC report in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has closed the case, listing it as a death from natural causes with no foul play involved.