'Grease' Actor Jeff Conaway Dead at 60 - Conaway had struggled with substance abuse for decades.
ENCINO, Calif. (KTLA) -- Jeff Conaway, who starred in "Taxi" and "Grease," has died after 2 weeks in a coma.The 60-year-old actor was taken off life support Friday morning at Encino Hospital.
Conaway was found unconscious on May 11 and was rushed to Encino Hospital Medical Center.
He had apparently been unconscious for nearly 9 hours before anyone found him, manager Phil Brock said.
Conaway had reportedly suffered from pneumonia and sepsis.
Celebrity addiction expert Dr. Drew Pinsky tweeted Friday that Conway was being kept in a Propofol-induced coma.
After learning of his death, Pinsky posted again.
"I'm saddened to report he has succumbed to his addiction, thus far we have no evidence of an intentional overdose, rather this is the natural history of prescription drug addiction, pneumonia, septic shock, etc," he tweeted.
Initial reports that Conaway suffered a drug overdose were inaccurate, a source with knowledge of his medical condition said last week.
However, his use of drugs caused him not to realize how ill he was, keeping him from getting treatment for pneumonia until it was too late, the source said.
Conaway gained fame as Kenickie in the 1978 musical movie 'Grease' and the television series 'Taxi.'
He struggled with substance abuse for decades.
In January 2010, Conaway suffered a broken hip and other serious injuries after falling at his home.
Conaway appeared on VH1's 'Celebrity Fit Club' in 2008 and later on 'Celebrity Rehab,' where he admitted to being addicted to cocaine, painkillers and alcohol as well as being a chronic masturbator.