John Belushi’s sudden death came after years of drug abuse and wild living, a new television special has confirmed.
“John Belushi on Saturday Night Live was just a revelation,” said journalist Mike Walker. “He was suddenly impinging on the entire American consciousness.”
So how did the gifted young actor come to die at just 33?
On the special, famed forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter sifts through 24 pages of autopsy reports to uncover the truth. Among the factors he looked at were Belushi’s weight problem, bad knees, and addiction to drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Friends of the high-spirited comedian say he could play dumb on TV, but was in reality one of the smartest men in the room.
“John was key to Saturday Night Live. He had that corner on what was stupid and what was crass and what was brutish and stuff like that,” said actress Blair Brown. “But in a person who was actually much smarter than that. He wasn’t just a big dopey fat guy.”
On the Reelz special, Dr. Hunter says cocaine abuse likely paid a big factor in Belushi’s death. As Radar reader know, fellow actor Robert DeNiro was a close friend of his, and shared many “boozy, cokey nights” with the funny man.
But were there OTHER factors besides drugs? Find out when Autopsy: The Last Hours of John Belushi, airs Saturday, March 4 at 8:00 ET/PT on Reelz.
And see a sneak peak of the special above!
