The cause of death of Jamie Lee Curtis‘s older sister has been revealed after her passing at the age of 69.
Kelly Lee Curtis died of natural causes, according to Us Weekly, which viewed records from the Blaine County coroner’s office in Idaho on Monday.
The actress’s final days were reportedly spent in hospice care, where she stayed the week before.
Jamie, 67, announced her sister’s death on social media on Saturday but declined to state the cause.
According to the publication, Kelly’s husband, John Marsh, was by her side once the coroner had arrived.
However, it is unclear if Jamie or any other family members were with her at the time of her death at 2.30am on May 30.
Kelly Lee Curtis (right), the older sister of Jamie Lee Curtis, died of natural causes, the Blaine County coroner’s office in Idaho revealed on Monday, according to Us Weekly
The coroner’s office reportedly indicated that Kelly’s body is expected to be cremated, though it did not specify if her family had requested an autopsy.
An online obituary that Jamie reposted to Instagram said that she and Kelly had relocated from Los Angeles to Idaho with their stepfather when they were younger.
Later, Kelly and Marsh – her second husband – moved to Bellevue, Idaho, where they established the documentary production company Liberty Films.
Kelly and her younger sister Jamie were the daughters of Some Like It Hot star Tony Curtis – who died in 2010 – and Psycho actress Janet Leigh, who died at 77 in 2004.
Both actresses followed their parents’ footsteps, with Kelly starring in films such as the 1991 Italian horror picture The Devil’s Daughter, directed by Dario Argento, whose previous work included the original Suspiria.
She also worked behind the scenes in showbiz, including as a production assistant on Jamie’s movies Freaky Friday, Christmas with the Kranks and You Again.
Posting on Instagram, Jamie revealed that her sister died at home on Saturday morning.
The coroner revealed that she had been in hospice care in the week leading up to her death on May 30 at 2.30am. Above, Kelly (left), Jamie (right) and their father, Tony Curtis, in 2005
According to the publication, Kelly’s husband, John Marsh, was by her side once the coroner had arrived, but it is unclear whether Jamie or other family members were present. She is expected to be cremated
Jamie heartbrokenly announced on Saturday that her elder sister Kelly has died at the age of just 69. Above, the siblings in 2012
They were both famous from the time of their birth, the daughters of the Some Like It Hot star and Psycho actress Janet Leigh
Hailing her sister’s ‘loving generosity’ and ‘fierce opinions,’ the devastated Halloween star mourned the loss of her ‘first friend’ and ‘lifelong’ confidante.
The Daily Mail has contacted Jamie’s representative for further comment.
‘A warm aloha to my older sister, Kelly Lee Curtis. She passed away this morning. In her home. In nature. At peace,’ wrote Jamie.
‘She was my first friend and lifelong confidant. She was jaw-droppingly beautiful and a talented actress. She played a mean game of hearts, collected turtles, loved her family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook, and Pokémon Go,’ she added.
Kelly, Jamie wrote lovingly, ‘was proud of her Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry and was a devoted American patriot.’
Jamie continued: ‘She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.’
The actress, known for starring in True Lies, recalled that ‘Kelly always signed off any message or fare thee well with a Hungarian blessing… Isten Veled, God is with you.’
As such, Jamie concluded her tribute by writing: ‘Isten Veled to my sister of the sun and the moon, my Tai. I’ll see you on down the line.’
Kelly starred in such films as the 1991 Italian horror picture The Devil’s Daughter, directed by Dario Argento, whose previous work included the original Suspiria
Kelly (left) and Jamie (right) in the 1980s with their mother (center), who primarily raised them after she and Tony Curtis divorced
In the 2000s, Kelly worked for her elder sister, serving as production assistant on her films Freaky Friday, Christmas with the Kranks and You Again. Above, the siblings in 2007
The actress mourned the loss of her ‘first friend’ and ‘lifelong’ confidante. Above, the sisters at the 1994 premiere of Jamie’s film True Lies
Kelly was born in Santa Monica in 1956, two years before her movie-star parents welcomed her little sister Jamie into the world.
Behind the elegant facade presented by the Hollywood publicity shots of their supposed family idyll, the marriage between the girls’ parents was dramatically disintegrating, ending in divorce when Kelly was only six.
Curtis claimed in his memoirs that he finally moved out on an impulse after a particularly brutal fight at the end of which Janet, well-oiled with Scotch, swallowed a ‘handful’ of pills and he had to slap her back to get her to regurgitate them.
‘Sad to say, Kelly and Jamie have always held it against me,’ wrote Tony, adding that the girls’ mother had what was then the customary full custody ‘and I’m sure she filled their heads with all sorts of negative stories about me.’
Despite the sturm und drang of her upbringing, Kelly ‘was always remarkably practical,’ her father said, recalling that when she was four years old and saw a TV for the first time she sat down behind it and explained to her father that she ‘was looking to see where the pictures and sounds were coming from.’
Having developed an early interest in the mechanics of showbiz, Kelly studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, named for the chief of the Actors Studio.
She made her movie debut at age two in her parents’ film The Vikings and acted sporadically in films as an adult.
Kelly landed a cameo in the classic 1983 comedy Trading Places, starring Jamie Lee with Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy and Don Ameche.
Kelly was born in Santa Monica in 1956, two years before her movie-star parents welcomed her little sister Jamie into the world. Above, the family in 1959
Behind the glamorous facade presented by the Hollywood publicity shots of their family idyll, the marriage between the girls’ parents was dramatically disintegrating. Above, in 1960
Her star turns included the 1987 adventure comedy Magic Sticks, which featured a young Samuel L Jackson in the bit part of a homeless man.
In 1991, she played perhaps her best-remembered part – an American schoolteacher in Germany who is targeted by a Satanic cult bent on impregnating her with the Antichrist, in the Italian horror movie The Devil’s Daughter.
The picture was directed by Dario Argento, the Italian ‘Master of Horror’ whose films included Suspiria, Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, and whose daughter is the scandal-struck actress Asia Argento.
Kelly also guested on a variety of classic TV shows of the 1980s and 1990s, such as The Equalizer, Hunter, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Sentinel and Judging Amy.
Her father reflected in his memoirs: ‘Kelly wanted to be an actress, and she eventually had some chances to work in films, but it never made her truly happy.’
She acted in the theater as well and married playwright-cum-producer Scott Morfee in 1989, but the marriage fell apart, and her stage career never resulted in stardom.
In the 2000s, Kelly worked for her elder sister, serving as production assistant on three of her movies – the 2003 classic Freaky Friday starring Lindsay Lohan, the 2004 picture Christmas with the Kranks led by Jamie Lee and Tim Allen and the 2010 romantic comedy You Again featuring Kristen Bell and Sigourney Weaver.
Curtis, who died at 85, had paid his own fond homage to her in his book: ‘Kelly is a remarkably generous and compassionate person, sweet and giving.’
