Darius Campbell Danesh’s family share new details about singer’s cause of death

Fresh statement sheds light on ‘Pop Idol’ star’s final night

Darius Campbell Danesh’s family have provided new details regarding the singer’s death.

The Scottish Pop Idol star died aged 41 in August 2022. He was found unresponsive in a hotel in Minnesota, with reports at the time suggesting that he died from “inhalation of chloroethane”.

Campbell Danesh’s autopsy documents noted “toxic effects of chloroethane” as well as “suffocation” as having led to his death, which was ruled an accident.

However, the “Colourblind” singer’s girlfriend, Lauren Cheek, revealed in July 2023 that he had an undetected heart issue, stating his heart had swelled to twice its normal size.

On Monday (11 September), Campbell Danesh’s family shared “further information” on the singer’s death with “greatest sadness”.

The statement, which was released via The Scotsman, said: “The Rochester Police Department have finalised their report following Darius’ death.

“In the days leading up to his death, Darius had been suffering from severe nerve pain in his neck following car accidents in 2010 and 2021, which was progressively ‘getting worse. He had taken pain medication, marijuana and chloroethane to manage the intensity of the pain prior to his death.”

The statement continued by saying that during dinner the night before with close friends, the singer “was in a lot of pain” but appeared to be “in good spirits”.

It also said that, despite “taking medication to deal with his pain”, his friends said he was “looking forward to the future with his usual zest for life”.

The next day, after Campbell Danesh failed to show up for plans he had previously made, his friends asked hotel staff to check on him, and he “was found unresponsive in bed... having inhaled chloroethane using a bag, which led to respiratory arrest”. At the time, the singer was believed to be visiting his friend, the actor Gerard Butler.

Darius Campbell Danesh died in August 2022, aged 41 (Getty Images)

His family continued: “The Rochester Fire and Police Department pronounced Darius deceased shortly after at 12.01pm. The autopsy report also concluded that Darius’ heart was twice the expected size. This may have contributed to his respiratory arrest.’

Cheek previously said in an interview with The Sun that “the substance mixed with his heart” is what “killed him”, stating “He couldn’t take it.”

According to Cheek, Danesh “refused to get help or complain about” his neck injury, nd used chloroethane “because he was in so much pain and he didn’t want to take pills, not even aspirin”.

She said: “I don’t think it ever fully healed and then he rebroke it because he got hit by a car in London a year or two before he died when he was riding a bike.”