Carl Weathers' Cause Of Death Disclosed

Carl Weathers' Cause Of Death Disclosed

Rocky star Carl Weathers died at age 76 Feb. 2. Days later, the cause of his death has been made public.

Carl Weathers passed away following a long battle with heart disease.

On Feb. 9, a week after the Rocky star died at age 76, the official cause of his death was disclosed. According to The Blast, which cited the actor's death certificate, Weathers died naturally of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and had suffered from heart disease for years. He passed away at his home in Venice, Calif.

E! News has reached out to the actor's rep for comment and has not heard back.

The star, who rose to fame playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies and later starred on The Mandalorian, had died in his sleep early Feb. 2, his family previously confirmed in a statement to NBC News.

"Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life," they said. "Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend."

The actor is survived by his sons Matthew, 47, and Jason, 44, who he shared with first wife Mary Ann.

Weathers was a pro football player with the Oakland Raiders for two seasons before pursuing acting full time in the mid-'70s. He landed his breakthrough role of the boxing adversary-turned-friend of Sylvester Stallone's character Rocky Balboa in the 1976 movie Rocky and reprised the role in the first three sequels.

Stallone paid tribute to Weathers following his death, saying in an Instagram video, "I'm so torn up, I can't even tell you. I'm just trying to hold it in because Carl Weathers was such an intricate part of my life, my success, everything about it. I give him incredible credit and kudos because when we walked into that room, and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness. But I didn't realize how great."

Source: E! News