Darius Danesh died after turning down 'life changing' operation due to fear of damaging voice

Daily Record

a day ago

The Scots star accidentally passed away in August 2022 after taking medication to manage his chronic neck pain.
Scots Pop Idol star Darius Campbell Danesh tragically passed away at 41-years-old in August 2022 with his body being found in an apartment in Minnesota in the US. The Bearsden-born singer's death was ruled an accident by the medical examiner who confirmed he died from 'inhalation of chloroethane', commonly known as ethyl chloride.
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Darius had been taking the medication to treat chronic neck pain he'd been suffering since a car accident. In his final hours, he was said to have been in 'good spirits' and enjoyed dinner with friends just the night before his sudden passing.
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A statement at the time said: "The night before Darius passed, he had dinner with close friends, who reported that 'Darius was in a lot of pain, but he was in good spirits when he was with us." The Scottish star had been suffering with chronic neck pain as the result of two car accidents.
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The first took place in Spain, 12 years prior to his death, in 2010 when he suffered a broken neck after the vehicle he was travelling in veered out of control and smashed into a wall at 70mph.
The singer recalled coming "just three millimetres from death". He had reportedly been offered an operation on his neck after the accident that could have been life-changing for his health but chose to turn it down due to the risk of it impacting his vocal chords.
Sadly, his pain intensified over the years and was made significantly worse following a second car accident in 2021.
Darius then took matters into his own hands and treated the 'severe pain' he was experiencing with marijuana, painkillers, and an anaesthetic drug.
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It was the aesthetic drug which tragically caused the singer-songwriter to go into 'respiratory arrest' as a statement released to The Scotsman from his family gave more details surrounding his passing.
They said: "The Rochester Police Department have finalised their report following Darius' death. It gives us great sadness to share further information on the passing of our loving son and brother.
"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.
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"When Darius did not show up and could not be reached, the hotel staff were asked to check on him. Around 11.50am on August 11, Darius was found unresponsive in bed by the hotel staff in the apartment where he was staying, having inhaled chloroethane using a bag, which led to respiratory arrest.
"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."
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The family also confirmed that his death had been ruled an accident with no suspicious circumstances.
They added: "We will always remember Darius for his open-hearted warmth, generosity of spirit, and the way he touched so many people's hearts and minds.
"He was an incredibly loving, caring, and supportive son, brother, and friend. His spirit of love and light is still with us all
"We would like to thank everyone for their continued support and kindness in what has been a very difficult year. We kindly ask that the family's privacy is maintained as we continue with the healing process."
Three years on from his tragic death, Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge, who filed for divorce from Danesh 2013 after just over two years of marriage, has confessed she still misses him dearly. Taking to Instagram, the 50-year-old shared a series of snaps of her and the late singer together earlier this week, including one adorable photo of her perched on Darius' back while they posed in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Another sweet snap showed Darius gently stroking and touching heads with a horse. The post, which was uploaded on August 11, said: "Love and light always. Miss you today…. Sending love to the Daneshs and everyone whose life he touched."