Film Director Had Cocaine in His System, Coroner Says

Director Ted Demme had cocaine in his system when he had a heart attack and died last month after playing a celebrity basketball game in Santa Monica, coroner’s officials said Saturday.

The “small amount” of the drug may have contributed to the heart attack, said Los Angeles County Coroner’s Lt. David Smith. The original autopsy proved inconclusive, but further tests showed the presence of cocaine. Demme, 37, also suffered from buildup in his arteries, Smith said.

Demme collapsed during the basketball game Jan. 13 and was taken to Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center in full cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.

Nephew of director Jonathan Demme, he directed the movies “Blow” and “Beautiful Girls,” among other productions.

“Blow,” which starred Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz, told the story of George Jung, who became Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s right-hand man in the United States during the 1970s.