Christopher Lawford, one of John F. Kennedy’s nephews and an actor on shows including “General Hospital” and “Frasier,” died on Tuesday of a heart attack. He was 63.
His relatives confirmed that he passed away in Vancouver, Canada. Lawford appeared in the aforementioned shows, as well as “All My Children” and the 2013 film, “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.”
TMZ reported that his death stemmed from a “medical emergency” at a yoga studio earlier that night, and appeared to be from “natural causes.”
Lawford’s cousin, Patrick J. Kennedy, tweeted, “To the world he was an author, actor, & activist, but to the recovery community he was a pioneer – living proof that long-term recovery was possible,” referring to Lawford’s drug addiction and subsequent sobriety. Lawford had spoken openly about his addiction, penning a book about it in 2016 titled “Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption.”
Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, posted pictures of Lawford and her family with the caption, “We mourn the loss of my cousin Christopher Lawford, Rest in Peace.”
We mourn the loss of my cousin Christopher Lawford, Rest in Peace.
Pictured here with our family at the 2004 Democratic Convention and with his wonderful son, David. pic.twitter.com/GLlCvN7xkv
— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) September 5, 2018
The recovery community lost a founding father today. My cousin, Chris Lawford, passed away from a heart attack yesterday evening. To the world he was an author, actor, & activist, but to the recovery community he was a pioneer – living proof that long-term recovery was possible. pic.twitter.com/NS9TLZgRlT
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) September 5, 2018
