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New details on the death of actor David Gail, best known for roles in the iconic FOX drama 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' as well as the soap opera 'Port Charles,' have been revealed.
Gail died from anoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a brain injury caused by a lack of blood, after being resuscitated from cardio pulmonary arrest, which was caused by intoxication from several drugs including amphetamines, cocaine, ethanol and fentanyl, the actor's publicist confirmed to PEOPLE.com in a statement on behalf of his family.
Gail's mother, Mary Painter, also shared a statement in response to her son's heartbreaking cause of death.
“It breaks my heart to learn that my son died this way,” Painter said via PEOPLE.com. “David became reliant on medicine many years ago, after multiple surgeries on his hands and wrists. He lived in enough pain to prevent him from working for almost a decade, with relief only achieved through full disability, physical therapy and pain medicine."
Gail was previously reported to have died after suffering complications from sudden cardiac arrest, a spokesperson confirmed to the New York Post on January 22. TMZ previously reported that Gail's death was being investigated as a potential overdose prior to the spokesperson telling the New York Post that the actor's family had no reason to suspect his death was caused by anything other than heart failure.
Gail's sister, Katie Colmenares, revealed his death in an Instagram post shared on January 21.
"There’s barely been even a day in my life when you were not with me by my side always my wingman always my best friend ready to face anything and anyone w me the bears will never be the same but I will hold you so tight every day in my heart you gorgeous loving amazing fierce human being missing you every second of every day forever there will never be another 💔💖," Colmenares wrote.
Gail played Stuart Carson, the fiancé of Brenda Walsh, played by Shannen Doherty, in Season 4 of 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' for eight episodes. The actor went on to become the second to portray Dr. Joe Scanlon, in 'Port Charles,' a spinoff of the long-running ABC series 'General Hospital,' for one year and 216 episodes.
Gail made his television acting debut in a 1990 episode of 'Growing Pains,' playing a character named Norman. The actor would later be credited for roles in several television shows including 'Matlock,' 'Murder, She Wrote,' 'JAG,' and 'Doogie Howser, M.D.,' as well as the films 'Bending All the Rules,' 'Perfect Opposites' and 'The Belly of the Beast.'