Following the sad passing of Baywatch actor Michael Newman, his cause of death has been revealed.
In the ’80s, Newman was the only main member of the iconic series to have worked as an actual lifeguard.
Now, his passing goes alongside other recent celebrity deaths.
Michael Newman struggled with Parkinson’s disease for years. But what was his cause of death?
Donna D’Errico, actor and lifeguard Michael Newman, and Traci Bingham attending a ‘Baywatch’ press event to unveil the show’s new cast members on Malibu Beach in Malibu, California, July 17th 1996. (Photo Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
Michael Newman has passed away
On Sunday, October 20, Baywatch actor Michael Newman passed away.
Mike Newman was 68 years old. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Sarah, by his adult children, Chris and Emily, and by his one-year-old granddaughter, Charlie.
The actor, who portrayed Mike ‘Newmie’ Newman on Baywatch, had been ill for years. He first received his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2006, and has been battling with the neurodegenerative disease for 18 years.
1997 Michael Newman stars in “Baywatch” (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
What was Michael Newman’s cause of death?
Mike Newman’s cause of death was, according to what close friend Matthew Felker told People, “heart complications.”
That is not very specific. But then, Felker is a director, not a doctor. And even in his passing, Newman is entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy when it comes to certain medical details.
It is possible that more information may come to light in the future. For now, he was a 68 year old man who passed away due to heart complications. We do know that Parkinson’s disease can have a dramatic and negative impact upon the human heart.
Newmie was a fixture on ‘Baywatch’
Over the course of Baywatch’s outlandish run from 1989 until 2001, Mike Newman appeared in 150 episodes.
The only person to have appeared in more episodes was David Hasselhoff. (It’s good to remember that Baywatch ran for so long that two of the “sex symbols” to appear on the series were David Hasselhoff and Jason Momoa, who don’t sound like they ever appeared on the same show)
Baywatch is often regarded with humor. The series seems to have embodied the lingering effect of ’80s aesthetics in the early 1990s. However, such a lengthy run is a success for any show — especially in an age when television didn’t slap together 8 episodes and call it a “season.” (Well, except in the United Kingdom)
Who shared Mike Newman’s cause of death?
Matthew Felker directed the recent Hulu docuseries, After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun. According to Felker, he had thought of Mike Newman while doing the project, vowing to not “let him down” by quitting.
“I lost my friend. A hero. My hero,” he wrote on his Instagram page. “Thanks for coming into my life Newmie. Even if it was a brief time.”
The docuseries covered more than just Baywatch’s cultural and personal impact. It also addressed Newman’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at 50. He spent years taking numerous medications to address the condition’s symptoms. He also partnered with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to help raise funds to one day find a cure.
Michael Newman’s Cause of Death: ‘Baywatch’ Star Dies At 68 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.