A year following his passing, Ray Liotta‘s cause of death has been revealed. The 67-year-old actor died in his sleep from pulmonary edema and acute heart failure, according to reports. Documents obtained say the Goodfellas star had fluid in his lungs, suffered from respiratory issues, and his death was “categorized as natural and nonviolent.”
Reports also state Liotta was battling atherosclerosis, which builds up thick plaque in the arteries. The New Jersey native died in May 2022 while filming the movie Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic. The actor is survived by his fiancée Jacy Nittolo and his now-24-year-old daughter, Karsen.
The thriller Dangerous Waters has yet to be released and is directed by John Barr. Eric Dane, Saffron Burrows, and Odeya Rush also co-star.
The Cocaine Bear actor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame posthumously in February 2023, with his daughter paying tribute to her father.
“I’m so touched to be accepting this honor on behalf of my dad. I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Karsen said during the Los Angeles ceremony. “He was a one-of-a-kind actor, and the best friend, brother, and father anyone could have asked for. I lucked out with you.”
“If you have a Ray in your life, you’re lucky. I love you so much,” she continued. “Thank you for your work and the imprint you left on me and all of those who love you. Everyone deserves a Ray in their life.”
Since his death, Nittolo has posted several images of herself and the actor while looking back on their time together as a couple.
“My life these past couple of years have been nothing but truly magical,” she said in the caption.
“Ray and I share a deep love that I will cherish in my heart forever. We laughed daily and we were inseparable. The chemistry was wild in the best way. He was everything in the world to me and we couldn’t get enough of each other. The kind of real love that one dreams of. He was the most beautiful person inside and out that I’ve ever known, and even that is an understatement.”
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
