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Hugh Hefner’s Cause Of Death Revealed

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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A death certificate obtained by TMZ shows that Playboy creator Hugh Hefner died of cardiac arrest, with other conditions contributing to his death.

Hefner passed away last Wednesday at the age of 91.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, he was battling Septicemia, an inflammation of body tissues that results from an infection in the blood, and E. coli, a bacteria. (RELATED: Hugh Hefner’s ‘Girls Next Door’ React To His Passing)

Los Angeles, CA - OCTOBER 25: Hugh Hefner and Crystal Hefner attend Playboy Mansion's Annual Halloween Bash at The Playboy Mansion on October 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Playboy)

Hugh Hefner and Crystal Hefner attend Playboy Mansion’s Annual Halloween Bash at The Playboy Mansion on October 25, 2014 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Playboy)

The death certificate described the E. coli bacteria as “highly resistant to antibiotics.”

Hefner’s widow Crystal Hefner called him an “American hero” Monday.

“I haven’t been able to bring myself to write most people back to thank them for their condolences. I am heartbroken. I am still in disbelief,” Hefner said. “We laid him to rest Saturday. “He is in the place he was always certain he wanted to spend eternity. He was an American hero, a pioneer.”

“A kind and humble soul who opened up his life and home to the world,” she added. “I felt how much he loved me. I loved him so much. I am so grateful. He gave me life. He gave me direction. He taught me kindness. I will feel eternally grateful to have been by his side, holding his hand, and telling him how much I love him. He changed my life, he saved my life. He made me feel loved every single day. He was a beacon to the world, a force unlike anything else. There never has and never will be another Hugh M. Hefner.”