Bob Barker's Death Certificate Sheds New Light on His Passing
A cause of death in the passing of beloved game show host Bob Barker has finally been revealed.
The longtime host of The Price Is Right died on Aug. 26 at the age of 99, with the reason for his passing being labeled as "natural causes" at the time.
But now, the late TV personality's death certificate obtained by TMZ reveals Barker's official cause of death as Alzheimer's Disease.
It's unclear when Barker was diagnosed with the disease, as he never spoke publicly about his Alzheimer's battle, but the documents reportedly state that his death came "years" after the illness began.
Nancy Burnet, Barker's girlfriend of 40 years, told Entertainment Tonight that he remained mentally and physically active up until just "several months before his passing", noting that he "routinely participated in conversation and bedside exercises" prior to that.
Barker's death was initially announced by his rep, Roger Neal, who confirmed that Barker died in his sleep while at his home in Los Angeles.
He also praised Burnet caring for Barker throughout the years, telling ET at the time, "I can't stress enough the great care that Nancy took of him. It was around the clock."
"The fact that he got to stay in his home—the same house since the 1950s—to be able to live there his whole adult life and be able to be at home when he passed, I think it was very fortunate," Neal stated.
Recently, Burnet herself gave a glimpse into Barker's final days, telling Today.com that he "lived a very simple, quiet life, nothing extravagant or out of the ordinary,"
"Even in his final stages, he wasn’t that gaunt," she shared. "You know, some people at that age are very gaunt and thin and frail. He was not."
Following his death, Burnet issued a statement about the animal advocacy work she and Barker often collaborated on, writing, "I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally."
"We were great friends over these 40 yrs," she added, while concluding her message, "He will be missed.”
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