Dave Hollis’ cause of death has been confirmed, months after the former Disney executive and the ex-husband of “Girl, Wash Your Face” author Rachel Hollis died at the age of 47.
Hollis died of “toxic effects of cocaine, ethanol, and fentanyl,” according to the autopsy report from the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office in Austin, Texas, obtained by NBC News.
High blood pressure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries, according to the National Institutes of Health, were also listed in the report as contributing conditions. Hollis’ manner of death was ruled an accident, according to the report.
The medical examiner report notes that, according to reports, Hollis was found unresponsive when authorities arrived at his home in February and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Per the M.E., Hollis had a history of high blood pressure, depression and alcohol and drug abuse. Hollis also had a "dilated and enlarged heart," according to the report.
"Mr. Hollis’s underlying natural disease of the heart would have predisposed it to developing an abnormal rhythm, particularly in the presence of a stimulant drug such as cocaine," the report said.
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A family representative confirmed to TODAY.com on Feb. 14 that Hollis died peacefully at home on Feb. 11 in Austin, Texas, adding, “Though exact cause of death has yet to be determined, his family confirms he had been hospitalized recently for some heart issues.”
Hollis is survived by his four children — Jackson, Sawyer, Ford and Noah — whom he shared with his ex-wife. The two married in 2004 and announced their split in 2020.
Following her ex-husband's death, Rachel Hollis asked for prayers in an Instagram post.
“We are devastated,” the author wrote. “I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them. Please wrap the kids up in prayers as we try and navigate through the unthinkable.”
In a Feb. 27 episode of “The Rachel Hollis Podcast,” she said her ex-husband's death came as a shock.
“We still honestly don’t know what happened. I found out after the fact that he had gone to the hospital a couple of times because he was having heart problems,” she said. “So I think it’s really highly possible he had a heart attack but I don’t know and whatever he died from … we’re still in the same space, which is just deep grief.”
Dave Hollis left Disney in 2018 to work alongside his then-wife. He wrote two self-help books, “Get Out of Your Own Way: A Skeptic’s Guide to Growth and Fulfillment” and “Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were Meant For.”
In 2022, he wrote a children’s book, “Here’s to Your Dreams!: A Teatime with Noah Book.”
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