Everett Collection
Many were shocked by the sudden death of Margot Kidder on May 13, 2018.
The beloved actress, best known for her portrayal of Lois Lane in Superman: The Movie, opposite Christopher Reeve’s Superman, was only 69, but on Wednesday, August 8 her family allowed the Montana’s Park County Coroner to reveal that her cause of death was an overdose.
Richard Wood confirmed the actress’s death was “a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose.”
Following the information being released, Kidder’s only daughter Maggie McGuane opened up about why the cause was revealed, stating, “It’s a big relief that the truth is out there. It’s important to be open and honest so there’s not a cloud of shame in dealing with this.”
Many will remember that Kidder had a very public battle with bipolar episode which intensified when a 1996 manic episode left the star homeless for a period of time. Five months afterward, Kidder opened up about the diagnosis and the battle saying the “mood swings could knock over a building.” She had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder eight years earlier but refused to take the recommended prescription of lithium.
Aside from her iconic role as Lois Lane, Kidder was best known for her role as Kathy Lutz in 1979’s The Amityville Horror and her parts in 1974’s Black Christmas and 1981’s Heartaches.
Kidder was married and divorced three times. First to novelist Thomas McGuane with whom she had her only child Maggie, born in 1976. She then married actor John Heard in 1979 in a marriage that only lasted sic days and was then married to French film director Philippe de Broca from 1983 to 1984.