Tom Petty Died Of Accidental Drug Overdose, Family Reveals

Tom Petty’s death in October was caused by an accidental drug overdose, according to a statement by his wife and daughter.

Petty was found unconscious in his home Oct. 1 while in “full cardiac arrest.” He was reportedly taken off life support the next day when he was found to have “no brain activity.”

In a Facebook message posted Friday on the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fan page, Petty’s widow, Dana, and daughter, Adria, explained the cause of death.

“Our family sat together this morning with the Medical Examiner – Coroner’s office and we were informed of their final analysis that Tom Petty passed away due to an accidental drug overdose as a result of taking a variety of medications.

“Unfortunately Tom’s body suffered from many serious ailments including emphysema, knee problems and most significantly a fractured hip.

“Despite this painful injury he insisted on keeping his commitment to his fans and he toured for 53 dates with a fractured hip and, as he did, it worsened to a more serious injury.

“On the day he died he was informed his hip had graduated to a full on break and it is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his over use of medication.”

 

Dana and Adria Petty said they knew before seeing the report that the singer-songwriter was prescribed various pain medications, including fentanyl patches, for a multitude of issues.

“We feel confident that this was, as the coroner found, an unfortunate accident,” they said.

The two also said they realized Petty’s death “may spark a further discussion on the opioid crisis” ― something they said they welcome.

“We feel that it is a healthy and necessary discussion and we hope in some way this report can save lives. Many people who overdose begin with a legitimate injury or simply do not understand the potency and deadly nature of these medications.”

The two ended the post, which appears below, with a note of appreciation for Petty.

“On a positive note we now know for certain he went painlessly and beautifully exhausted after doing what he loved the most, for one last time, performing live with his unmatchable rock band for his loyal fans on the biggest tour of his 40 plus year career. He was extremely proud of that achievement in the days before he passed.”