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Clint Eastwood’s long-time partner Christina Sandera’s cause of death has been announced days after she passed away aged 61.
The Unforgiven actor, 94, had been in a relationship with Sanderas since 2014 and confirmed her death in a statement on Thursday (18 July). The pair reportedly met while she was working as a hostess at the actor’s Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
A representative from the Monterey County Health Department has said Sandera died of a heart attack, confirming the news to the New York Post.
Sandera’s death certificate revealed her cause of death as cardiac arrhythmia, which causes the heart’s rhythm too quickly, slowly or irregularly. Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease was also cited as a condition that led to Sandera’s death.
Atherosclerosis occurs when fatty deposits, known as atheroma, build up on the walls of the arteries around the heart and make them narrower, restricting the flow of blood to the heart and consequently around the body.
Blood clots can form when atheromas rupture, which further blocks the flow of blood around the body. Atherosclerosis becomes most concerning when it reduces the blood supply to the heart or brain as this can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Eastwood announced Sandera’s death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, saying: “Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much.”
Sandera and Eastwood remained quiet about their relationship. She did, however, attend the Oscars with Eastwood in 2015, when his war movie American Sniper was in contention for six Oscars including Best Picture.
She also joined the Gran Torino actor on several red carpets: Sully (2016), The Mule (2018), The 15:17 to Paris (2018) and Richard Jewell (2019).
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Sandera was a longtime Carmel resident, whom Eastwood began dating in 2014 following the divorce from his second wife, TV news anchor Dina Eastwood. He was previously married to model Maggie Johnson from 1953 to 1984.
Eastwood had other long-term relationships in between. He dated stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis, the late actor Sondra Locke (they were domestic partners for 14 years and starred in four movies together), flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves and actor Frances Fisher (they were together for five years and co-starred in four films).
