How did Donda West Die?
DONDA West was Kanye West's mother and general manager, who passed away tragically in November 2007.
Donda died in Los Angeles, California, after undergoing several cosmetic procedures the day prior.
What was Donda West's cause of death?
According to her autopsy, Donda West died in Los Angeles on November 10, 2007, of "coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty."
The 58-year-old opted to get liposuction, a tummy tuck, and a breast reduction the day before she died.
Her plastic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams, had a shady history, and two major malpractice judgments against him, totaling nearly $500k.
At the time of West’s surgery, the Medical Board of California was seeking to suspend or revoke Adams’ license because of multiple alcohol-related arrests.
West suffered from chronic health issues, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and cardiac artery damage, which Dr. Adams would have known ruled her out as being "healthy enough" for surgery if he had given her a proper physical exam.
Another surgeon told the anonymously that West had approached him months prior about having cosmetic surgery but that he did not perform the procedure because of an undisclosed preexisting condition that might result in a heart attack.
Then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger subsequently signed the "Donda West Law," legislation which makes it mandatory for patients to receive medical clearance through a physical examination before undergoing elective cosmetic surgery.
Did Donda West die from a heart attack?
According to her surgeon, West's surgery went normally, and he believes she died from a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or accidental overdose of drugs prescribed to her for pain after the procedure.
While she did have Vicodin in her system, an accidental overdose was ruled out by the coroner's office.
This means that it was likely a heart condition that ultimately caused her death, which could have been prevented had she not undergone such strenuous surgeries.
For his part, Kanye West blames himself for thrusting his mother into the limelight, which is likely why she sought out a plastic surgeon, to begin with.
“If I had never moved to LA, she’d be alive. I don’t want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears," he said in an interview with Q Magazine in 2015.
Ahead of the release of his new album on Sunday, August 29, 2021, videos of the rapper with his mother emerged on social media.
In 2020, Kanye released the song Donda, a testament to his late mother, a year before unveiling his 10th album.
Was Donda featured in jeen-yuhs?
Donda was featured in parts of jeen-yuhs which show the intimate bond between Kanye and his mother, and they also focus on his relationship with fame.
“The giant looks in the mirror and sees nothing,” she sagely tells her son halfway through the first episode.
“Remember to stay on the ground, and you can be in the air all at the same time… Everybody else sees the giant,” she explains.