Charlbi Dean’s cause of death has been revealed four months after the up-and-coming actress’ sudden passing at age 32.
New York City’s medical examiner revealed that the “Black Lightning” alum died of a bacterial infection in August, TMZ reported on Thursday.
The outlet noted that the bacteria was listed as Capnocytophaga, which often affects those who have come into close contact with or been bitten by a dog or cat.
The model’s reaction to the bacteria was reportedly complicated by the absence of her spleen, which was removed after she and then-boyfriend Ashton Schnehage got into a car accident in 2009.
Dean also suffered a collapsed lung, damaged two vertebrae and broke her wrist, four ribs and an elbow during the crash.
The “Spud” star was engaged to Luke Volker when she died, with the 26-year-old model getting down on one knee in April.
“40°44’12.9″N 73°58’49.1″W 📍,” Dean captioned sweet Instagram snaps at the time. “Location of our first kiss and the location where I said yes to my boy.”
In a post of his own, Volker called the actress the “love of [his] life” and “girl of [his] dreams.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Since Dean’s passing, Volker has posted multiple touching tributes honoring the late star.
“I was the luckiest guy in the world to have spent my days with her,” he gushed in September. “I hope there’s a heaven up there.”
Dean is best known for her recurring role on “Black Lightning” and the “Spud” films.
She was posthumously praised for her movie with Woody Harrelson, “Triangle of Sadness,” which hit theaters in October.