Denise Russo’s cause of death has been made public.
The former star of the 2011 VH-1 reality series The X-Life died at the age of 44 from “toxic effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine,” according to the coroner’s Saturday report from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, and her death was ruled an accident.
According to a statement from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office on March 10, Russo died on March 5 at a friend’s house.
According to the medical examiner’s office, first responders arrived on the site after 911 was contacted. Russo was discovered asleep on the ground, surrounded by drug paraphernalia.
Russo was confirmed dead after “aggressive attempts at resuscitation,” according to the ME.
A former X-Life cast member, Susie Stenberg, told TMZ that Russo was “the most loving and loyal person.”
The X-Life featured three extreme sports athletes. Russo featured on the show with Cory “Nasty” Nastazio and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg as the girlfriend of skater Pierre Luc Gagnon.
According to E! Online, Russo and Gargon divorced after the one-season show, but they have an 8-year-old son, Leo Wolf.
She acknowledged her kid in an interview for the Inked Cover Girl 2023 competition, saying, “I love being a mom! My wonderful 8-year-old son, Leo Wolf—boys rule, by the way—is the pleasure of my life. We wrestle, and I bash the tiny mouse on the bed in my Russian wrestling voice. Being Leo’s mother is a blessing, and Leo has enriched my life.”