Christy Knowings’ cause of death has been revealed as cardiac arrest following a severe asthma attack that left her brain damaged.
The former “All That” star, 46, died Aug. 11 after being hospitalized four days earlier, according to her death certificate on Wednesday. The document lists acute hypoxic respiratory failure and status asthmaticus as conditions leading to her death, with asthma identified as the underlying cause.
A family member had previously said that Knowings suffered an asthma attack on Aug. 7 that caused brain damage. She was placed on life support, and her family made the decision to remove her from it four days later.
Acute hypoxic respiratory failure is a life-threatening condition in which the body lacks sufficient oxygen or retains excess carbon dioxide, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Status asthmaticus is defined as an extreme asthma attack that does not respond to standard treatments.
Kenan Thompson, 46, who starred alongside Knowings on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series, paid tribute to his former co-star on Instagram last month.
“Man this one hit hard!!! Rest well Christy!!!”
He added, “She was a real one and one of the funniest people out here!!! Gonna miss you buddy!!!”
Knowings was a regular cast member on “All That” for three seasons from 1997 to 2000, appearing with Thompson, Amanda Bynes, Nick Cannon and other young performers. She played various characters including Jessica and Penny Lane, though she identified Gloria Bankhead as her favorite role.
“She was an over-the-top Martha Stewart,” Knowings said about the character in a 2019 interview with Bustle. “I had never played any character like her!”
The Bronx-born performer, who was of Native American and Afro-Latina heritage, also spoke about the diversity the show brought to children’s television.
“I’m from The Bronx and Native American Afro-Latina, so I was able to bring so much to the table,” she said.
Her final television appearances came on “Sesame Street” from 2008 to 2011, where she appeared as herself in three episodes alongside her twin brother, Chris.