Clint Eastwood‘s partner Christina Sandera’s cause of death has been revealed days after her sudden passing aged 61.
The Oscar-winning actor, 94, announced on Friday (July 19) that his partner of 10 years had sadly died. A representative from the Monterey County Health Department confirmed to the New York Post that Sandera died of a heart attack.
On her death certificate, Sandera’s immediate cause of death was listed as cardiac arrhythmia, which causes the heart’s rhythm to beat too slowly, too quickly or irregularly.
An additional condition that led to Sandera’s death was atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, which occurs when plaques made of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances gather in artery walls.
When these plaques burst, they can form blood clots. The condition is most serious when it reduces blood supply to the heart or brain, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
In a tribute to his late partner, Eastwood wrote: “Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much.” The couple met when Sandera worked as a restaurant hostess at Eastwood’s hotel, the Mission Ranch, in Carmel, California.
Despite their 33-year age-gap, their romance quickly blossomed and Sandera regularly accompanied the Unforgiven star to award shows.
She made her red carpet debut with the star at the 2015 Oscars where his drama American Sniper was up for six gongs, including Best Picture.
She also accompanied him on red carpets for Sully (2016), The Mule (2018), The 15:17 to Paris (2018) and Richard Jewell (2019).
They were last seen publicly together in 2019 and online in November 2022 when they posed with Eastwood’s daughters in a social media snap.
The legendary actor and director is a father to eight children by six different women. Eastwood has been married twice before, first to model Maggie Johnson whom he wed in 1953 and split in 1964.
He then moved on with Dianna Ruiz, with the pair being married from 1996 to 2014. The Hollywood star began dating Sandera a year after he divorced Ruiz.