Darius Danesh's ex-wife speaks out after he died after refusing operation

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Darius Danesh's ex-wife speaks out after he died after refusing operation
Darius Campbell Danesh' ex-wife Natasha Henstridge has shared a heartfelt tribute to the singer on the third anniversary of his death
Darius Campbell (formerly Danesh) who rose to fame after coming third in ITV's Pop Idol show and had number one hits in the UK with both his debut single and album.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Darius Campbell Danesh's former wife has paid tribute to the late singer on the third anniversary of his death. The former Pop Idol star passed away suddenly at the age of 41 in August 2022 after inhaling chloroethane - also known as ethyl chloride - at his Minnesota flat.
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Three years after the tragedy, 50 year old Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge - who petitioned for divorce from the Colourblind singer in 2013, following just over two years of marriage - has confessed she still misses him deeply. Sharing a collection of photographs of Darius, including one showing the pair posing before the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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She wrote on Instagram on August 11: "Love and light always. Miss you today.... Sending love to the Danesh's and everyone whose life he touched."
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According to his partner, Darius had been "living with a broken neck" and an undiagnosed cardiac condition when he passed away, reports the Mirror.
Darius Danesh made his first appearance in Popstars but did not have any success
(Image: ITV)
Lauren Cheek revealed that a post-mortem examination showed his heart was "twice the size" it should have been and that she believes he used the recreational anaesthetic to ease his pain.
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She told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "Darius was living with this heart condition that he didn't know he had. So many things could have taken him, but this one thing did, and he died in his sleep.
"His mum told me they only found out after they did the autopsy. His heart was twice the size it was supposed to be, which was fitting, because that is genuinely how he was - he had so much love.
"The autopsy also found he was living with a broken neck, but he refused to get help or complain about it. I think he used (chloroethane) because he was in so much pain and he didn't want to take pills, not even aspirin. That's what killed him - the substance mixed with his heart and he couldn't take it."
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Lauren continued by revealing that Darius - who rose to prominence after delivering an unforgettable performance of Britney Spears' chart-topper '...Baby One More Time' on the ITV talent programme Popstars before launching a series of successful singles and later starring in West End productions - had suffered his injuries during racing alongside Hollywood star Gerard Butler and consistently "refused" her pleas to seek medical attention.
She continued: "He was with Gerry (Butler) in Monaco for the Grand Prix and they slammed into a wall during a race with the Prince of Monaco. 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.
"And then he got into a car accident with his dad in Scotland. D was in the passenger seat, his dad was driving and someone drove into them.
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"He was always in pain and I would beg him to see the doctor, but he refused. He was trying to find a natural remedy."
Declining surgery Darius had been struggling with severe neck pain following two separate motor vehicle collisions.
The initial incident happened in Spain during 2010, leaving him with a fractured neck.
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In a previous interview with HELLO!, he revealed how he came within just 'three millimetres from death'.
The performer had been enjoying a driving holiday with friends and was travelling on the motorway during scorching weather conditions.
"Because of the haze, we didn't see that there was a diesel spill on the road. Before we could work out what was going on, it was already too late," he explained.
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"The car careered out of control on a bend, and we smashed into a wall at 70mph. My first recollection is my friend, the driver, asking if I was ok."
He continued by describing how he recalled experiencing a "sharp pain" in his neck before losing consciousness.
After the crash, Darius was reportedly presented with the option of neck surgery that could have been transformative, but the entertainer notably refused the treatment due to concerns it might affect his singing voice.
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His discomfort progressively worsened over time, and a subsequent road traffic accident in 2021 further aggravated his condition.
Rather than undergoing the operation, Darius allegedly managed the 'intense nerve pain' through cannabis, pain medication, and an anaesthetic substance, the last of which tragically led to 'respiratory arrest'.