He was 63 years old.
By Molly Given — Written on Sep 06, 2018
How did Christopher Lawford die? Best-selling author, actor and addiction recovery advocate Christopher Kennedy Lawford, who was also the nephew of the late John F. Kennedy, died on Tuesday in Vancouver, British Columbia, according to a series of tweets from his cousin Patrick J. Kennedy. He was 63.
The cause of death was a heart attack. Lawson came from an affluent family but gained fame on his own by acting. He acted in dozens of films and television shows, including the TV soap operas All My Children and General Hospital.
Our condolences to his family and friends. Here is what we know so far about the death of Christopher Lawford.
1. The statement.
"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," Patrick J. Kennedy, a former congressman from Rhode Island, tweeted. "Chris had lived in long-term recovery since the mid 80's and helped countless others along the way. In my own struggle to achieve sobriety, he always encouraged me to stay the course, providing love and guidance when I needed it most."
2. He was at a yoga studio when he died.
There are reports that he was at a yoga studio when he suffered a "medical emergency" and later passed away.
3. He is survived by his children.
David Christopher, Savannah Rose and Matthew Valentine.
RELATED: Sad New Details About The Murder Of Playboy Model Christina Kraft
4. He comes from a prominent family.
Mr. Lawford’s parents were Peter Lawford and Patricia Kennedy Lawford, who was the sister of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
5. He wrote a memoir.
In his book Symptoms of Withdrawal, Lawford talked about his struggle with substance abuse. “Opiates were my drug of choice,” he wrote in his memoir, “but whatever changed my consciousness was my friend."
6. He credited his Aunt Joan for getting him back on track.
Joan Kennedy, Teddy Kennedy's first wife, helped Christopher break his addiction. “Joan did for me what no doctor, therapist, priest, or guru could do,” he told the Palm Beach Post in 2006. “She brought me to a church basement full of a diverse group of apparent losers who would teach me how to live without drugs and alcohol a day at a time, and a whole lot more.”
7.He published other books about his life.
Including one about Hepatitis C, which he acquired through drug use. "There are many days when I wish I could take back and use my youth more appropriately,” Mr. Lawford told the Associated Press in 2005. “But all of that got me here. I can’t ask for some of my life to be changed and still extract the understanding and the life that I have today.”