Lance Reddick's Family Disputes His Reported Cause of Death: "Wholly Inconsistent"

On March 17, actor Lance Reddick died at age 60, Variety confirmed. At the time, reps for Reddick did not respond to POPSUGAR's request for comment. His exact cause of death had remained unclear until April 6, when People reported, per a death certificate first obtained by TMZ, that the actor died of ischemic heart disease and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Shortly after Reddick's apparent cause of death emerged, the actor's family disputed the coroner's findings. In a statement to People, an attorney representing the family denied that heart disease was the cause of Reddick's death. Reddick was "the most physically fit person I've ever known," Attorney James Hornstein told the outlet, noting that workout facilities were a "contractual requirement" for the late star. "The information appearing on the death certificate is wholly inconsistent with his lifestyle," the attorney's statement continued. "On behalf of [Lance's wife] Stephanie Reddick, the death certificate information is not corroborated and is inconsistent with the facts known to the family." Hornstein did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR's request for comment. Reddick was born in Baltimore. As a teenager, he was more interested in music and even majored in music composition at the University of Rochester. He later attended the Yale School of Drama and graduated with his MFA in 1994. Reddick's first major TV role was in HBO's "Oz," which he joined in 2000. His credits also include numerous appearances on shows in the "Law & Order" franchise. He later joined the main cast of "The Wire," which premiered on HBO in 2002, and appeared in all five seasons as Cedric Daniels. On "Lost," he appeared in four episodes as Matthew Abaddon, and in 2008, he played Phillip Broyles on "Fringe;" Broyles was a Homeland Security Special Agent and head of the Fringe division. In 2014, he joined another cop series, Prime Video's "Bosch," and in 2022, he took on the role of iconic "Resident Evil" villain Albert Wesker for the show's Netflix series. He also signed on to the upcoming "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series from Disney+ to play Zeus. Reddick also starred in the "John Wick" series. He appeared in the film "John Wick: Chapter 4" in late March, and will also reprise his role in the upcoming spin-off "Ballerina," starring Ana de Armas. On March 17, "John Wick" star Keanu Reeves and the fourth "John Wick" film's director Chad Stahelski shared a joint statement about the actor's passing with The Hollywood Reporter. "We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick," they said. "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 is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, whom he married in 2011. The couple had many dogs, whom he loved showing off on Instagram. The late actor is also survived by his two children, Yvonne and Christopher. On March 18, Stephanie shared an emotional tribute to her husband via his social media accounts. "Lance was taken from us far too soon. Thank you for all your overwhelming love, support and beautiful stories shared on these platforms over the last day. I see your messages and can't begin to express how grateful I am to have them," she captioned a photo of the actor on Instagram. Read on to see how Reddick's costars from "John Wick," "The Wire," "Fringe," and "Lost" have paid tribute to the late actor. Related: All the Stars We've Lost in 2023