Sam Neill Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia

The cause of death for beloved Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill has been confirmed just days after his unexpected death at age 78. The news of his passing has shocked fans all around the world.

According to a statement from Neill’s longtime representative, Philip Grenz, issued after speaking with the actor’s family, Neill died from pneumonia.

Neill, who was best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant within the Jurassic Park franchise, had previously battled a rare form of blood cancer called angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. However, he had successfully entered remission following CAR-T cell therapy and was declared cancer-free before becoming ill with pneumonia.

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His former partner Laura Tingle said years of intensive cancer treatment had weakened his immune system, making it more difficult for his body to recover from pneumonia.

“Sam passed away from pneumonia. Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy,” said Grenz.

After speaking with Neill’s family, Grenz explained that he felt it was important to reveal the true cause of the actor’s death due to incorrect news reports “which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods.”

He noted that before becoming sick, Neill had remained busy and dedicated to his career, completing four “back-to-back” projects just within the past year.

“As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honor him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date. I’d like to thank those who were truly close to Sam for considering his privacy with the respect he earned and his loved ones need and deserve during this immeasurably difficult time,” said Grenz.

Rima Te Wiata, Neill’s former co-star on Hunt for the Wilderpeople, also spoke out regarding the actor’s death.

“It really sucks, actually. I think he would be like: ‘For goodness sake, I got over my cancer. And now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?'” she said.