The death of martial arts and movie legend Bruce Lee is investigated tonight on ReelzChannel’s docuseries Autopsy: The Last Hours Of… — with host Dr. Michael Hunter asking whether he died of undiagnosed epilepsy.
The star, who was also a film director and artist, died in Hong Kong at the age of just 32 in July 1973, ahead of a planned dinner with James Bond star George Lazenby to discuss a new movie.
Lee had complained of a headache earlier while visiting his friend, actress Betty Ting Pei, at her home, before she gave him the analgesic Equagesic, which contained both aspirin and meprobamate.
After taking the medication, he went to take a nap before dinner but never woke up. He was rushed to hospital but was dead on arrival.
His passing was officially ruled “death by misadventure”, but many conspiracies emerged at the time including that he had been murdered by Chinese crime syndicate the Triads.
Cannabis was also found in his stomach.
His death came just over two months after he had collapsed with seizures and headaches during a voice recording session for his last movie Enter the Dragon, before being diagnosed with cerebral edema.
Forensic psychologist Dr. Michael Hunter, who examined Lee’s medical records in detail, says on tonight’s Autopsy The Last Hours Of…: “It’s one of the most mysterious deaths of all time, and the official verdict has rarely been accepted.”
He adds: “I found something deep in Bruce Lee’s medical records that has me really surprised.”
Speaking about whether the recording studio collapse and his death were linked, and whether Lee may have had epilepsy, he says: “There was something in the way that Bruce collapsed that makes me wonder whether he had a condition that was potentially deadly.
“It involves a seizure. It causes the heart and lungs to stop and it’s brought on by a lack of sleep and stress.
“When Bruce collapsed in the studio weeks prior to his death, he was clearly stressed. And the seizure that followed had all the hallmarks of an epileptic fit.
“So did bruce have undiagnosed epilepsy, and if so did he die following another seizure?”
Autopsy: The Last Hours Of… airs Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT on ReelzChannel.