Scott Weiland, frontman of early ’90s stalwarts Stone Temple Pilots and plenty of other bands, passed away two weeks ago, on December 3. The cause of death was pretty much assumed to be drug-related, due to the singer’s tragic past with substance abuse. But today, it’s been confirmed: Weiland’s accidental death was the result of his drug addictions.
Specifically, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office released a statement about the findings of the autopsy, saying the death was the result of
“mixed drug toxicity: cocaine, ethanol and methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). Other significant conditions are noted as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, history of asthma and multi-substance dependence. Manner of death is accident.”
This was pretty much assumed to be the case at the time of his death. His passing prompted an outpouring of love from the creative community, but it also prompted a letter of warning from his family. His ex-wife and the mother of his children, Mary Forsberg Weiland, wrote an open letter in Rolling Stone imploring the media and public to resist glorifying the drug-fueled death of her former husband.
It’s sad to know that the public’s assumptions were correct, but hopefully the conclusive evidence of the autopsy can help Mary’s words ring truer, so that the destructive image of the drug-addled rockstar doesn’t pervade even more than it already has.