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Former Disney Executive’s Cause of Death Revealed

Disney Executive Fentanyl

In mid-February, it was announced that the former executive of The Walt Disney Company, Dave Hollis, passed away at the age of 47. Now, the reason for his passing has become clear.

Dave Hollis

Former president of distribution, Dave Hollis/Courtesy of Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images

Read More: Former Senior Disney Executive Dies at 47

According to NBC, Disney’s former distribution chief died of an accidental drug overdose in his home just outside Austin, Texas.  Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and revealed that Hollis “had fatal amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol in his system.”

Hollis reportedly had a history of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as high blood pressure, depression, and hypersensitive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (which causes blood vessels that supply the heart to narrow and harden). Before his death, he had been recently hospitalized for heart-related issues.

the walt disney company

Credit: Disney

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Hollis left Disney in 2018 after overseeing some of the most profitable years for Disney’s theatrical distribution, including 2016, in which Disney became the first movie studio ever to cross $7 billion globally in a single year. His tenure in distribution was at the same time Marvel and Star Wars projects were at their peak popularity. He joined his wife’s company, but the two would eventually split in 2020 after 18 years of marriage.

His wife, best-selling author Rachel Hollis, remarked that it was “healthier and more respectful for us to choose this as the end of our journey as a married couple.”

The Walt Disney Company

Credit: The Walt Disney Company

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Hollis is survived by his ex-wife and his four children. It is unclear how they were personally affected by his drug problem and how they discovered his death. He is the first Disney executive to die from fentanyl.

We at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on Disney Parks news and stories as more developments come to light.

About T.K. Bosacki

Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, TK Bosacki is a professional writer, amateur adventurer, and lifelong Disney Fanatic. His Disney Park days include Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Nomad Lounge. He believes in starting at the Canada pavilion (IYKYK), and the Monorail is superior to all Ferry Boats.

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