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Nephew of JFK and 'General Hospital' actor passes away at 63
Actor Christopher Lawford, the nephew of former president John F. Kennedy, has died at age 63 after a yoga studio incident.
TMZ has confirmed the death of the actor, who was at a yoga studio last Tuesday night where he suffered a medical emergency that led to his death.
Christopher was the son of Peter Lawford and Patricia Kennedy, who became a longtime Hollywood actor. He appeared on "General Hospital", "Terminator 3", "All My Children", "Fraiser", and a lot more TV series. He was also a correspondent on "EXTRA". Patricia was the sister of John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy, while his dad Peter Lawford was an English actor and socialite who was a member of Frank Sinatra's famous "Rat Pack".
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
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.
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) September 5, 2018
He is the nephew of JFK, and his family would often hang out with the Frist Family during his presidency. He ended up being just as vocal about politics as the rest of his family after he got his Juris Doctor degree at the Boston College School of Law. He was active in the Democratic National Committee and even worked for his uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy. He also worked with the Special Olympics, a project of his aunt Eunice Shriver.
He gave me strength and inspiration to take that first step, that leap of faith – and join him on the road to recovery in a new life of sobriety that I never thought possible.
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) September 5, 2018
He wrote he would not change the fact that he struggled with addiction, even if he could, for all the wisdom he gained had come as a result of it.
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) September 5, 2018
Aside from his Kennedy ties, he was also a New York Times bestselling author, with a book called "Symptoms of Withdrawal". Lawford has previously battled drug addiction for two decades in the '70s and '80s, even being arrested in 1980 for impersonating a doctor to get prescription drugs off the counter.
The titles of his books speak to his contributions in the disease of addiction, its impact on families, our country, and the world.
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) September 5, 2018
Officially, he was an ambassador of recovery for the office of National Drug Control Policy under President Obama, but to me, and many others, he was the absolute voice of recovery – always there to share his experience, strength, and hope.
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) September 5, 2018
My condolences go to his children, David, Savannah, and Matt; his sisters,
— Patrick J. Kennedy (@PJK4brainhealth) September 5, 2018
Sydney, Victoria, and Robin; and all who loved him.
His family members made sure to share their condolences on social media, saying that the death was shocking to them. It is unclear whether or not an autopsy will be done on his body since it was reported that he died of natural causes.
We mourn the loss of my cousin Christopher Lawford, Rest in Peace.
— Kerry Kennedy (@KerryKennedyRFK) September 5, 2018
Pictured here with our family at the 2004 Democratic Convention and with his wonderful son, David. pic.twitter.com/GLlCvN7xkv
Rest In Peace, Christopher Lawford.
