Actor Jeff Conaway, best known for his roles in Grease and the TV series Taxi, died Friday at the age of 60. Conaway had reportedly been suffering from pneumonia and sepsis, according to CNN. For the past two weeks, Conaway had been in a medically induced coma after being found unconscious at his home. His family was by his side Friday morning when he was taken off life support.
“He was the consummate performer and entertainer,” Conaway’s manager Phil Brock said in a press statement. “We’re thankful his struggles are over, but we know he will be missed by legions of fans worldwide.” Brock said Conaway’s family “chose to take him off of life-support based on advice from physicians. They thought for several days that the situation was hopeless.”
Dr. Drew Pinksy, who formerly treated Jeff Conaway for alcohol and drug addiction, said an overdose did not appear to be the cause of the actor’s death. Drew posted a message on Twitter saying “thus far we have no evidence of an intentional overdose, rather this is the natural history of prescription drug addiction, pneumonia, septic shock, etc.”
Jeff Conaway was a wonderful and decent man, and we will miss him. My heartfelt thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this very difficult time,” former Grease co-star John Travolta told E! News on Friday.