The Northern Express Herald

Clint Eastwood’s partner Christina Sandera dead at 61: Cause of death revealed

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Clint Eastwood's long-term partner Christina Sandera died at the age of 61 on July 18. Photo / Getty Images

Clint Eastwood’s long-term partner Christina Sandera died at 61 years old over the weekend. Her death certificate has since revealed how she died.

Clint Eastwood’s longtime partner Christina Sandera died of a heart attack.

The Unforgiven actor and director, 94, was left shattered href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/clint-eastwoods-long-term-partner-christina-sandera-dies-aged-61/FSPN6QB4DNDONCAYTRITNOQCZU/" target="_blank">when his 61-year-old companion of 10 years died last week, and a death certificate has now revealed she was killed by cardiac arrhythmia – which causes the heart’s rhythm to become too slow, rapid or irregular.

A representative from the Monterey County Health Department confirmed the cause of death.

Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease was cited as an additional condition that led to Sandera’s death.

It occurs when deposits of fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances accumulate in artery walls, causing blood vessels to harden and narrow, which restricts blood flow around the body.

When the plaques rupture they form a blood clot that can block the flow of blood more dramatically, which can result in a heart attack or stroke.

A Warner Bros spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter no further information would be given on Sandera’s death as Eastwood wants to privately grieve.

The Oscar-winner confirmed Sandera had passed away in a statement issued on July 18, in which he said: “Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much.”

He and Sandera had been together since 2014 after meeting while she was working as a hostess at Eastwood’s Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

Director Clint Eastwood and Christina Sandera attend a screening of "Sully" at the Directors Guild Of America on September 8, 2016, in Los Angeles. Photo / Jason LaVeris

They made their red carpet debut at the 2015 Academy Awards and even though they lived a relatively private life, Sandera was a regular plus-one with Eastwood at his red carpet events.

She was also very close to his large family and in 2018 joined three of his eight kids, as well as his granddaughter and first wife Margaret Johnson at the premiere of his film The Mule.

Two years later, Eastwood’s son Scott Eastwood, 38, said the whole clan planned to celebrate his dad’s 90th birthday.

He added: “We’re going to do just a family thing. Very calm, very mellow. “He doesn’t like birthdays. He’s just sort of like, ‘I don’t want to do birthdays … we’ll sneak a cake in there, definitely.

“He probably won’t like it, but we’ll put one in.”