Actress Samantha Davis, the late wife of Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis, died as a result of a cardiac arrest following complications of essential surgery it has been confirmed.
Following an inquest, Senior Coroner for Inner West London, Professor Fiona Wilcox, said: “I am satisfied that the medical cause of death should be arrhythmic cardiac arrest and complications following left thoracotomies.
“In my view, the stress of everything together has precipitated this arrhythmic cardiac arrest in a lady who was not known to have any previous arrhythmia problems.”
She added: “I have found nothing but excellent care being delivered to this lady and all of her complications were appropriately managed. It is frankly heartbreaking that the surgery itself was successful only for complications to arise and to cause her death.”.
David Lawrence, a cardiothoracic surgeon at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), said Ms Davis’ condition was “progressing well”. Samantha had a surgical chest drain removed on March 19 and a final drain removed on March 23.
Giving evidence, Mr Lawrence added: “Very sadly, on the night this happened the original plan had been that she would be discharged home the following day.
“We had good evidence that this patient had a chest x-ray that was acceptable, very stable observations and this patient did not bleed during the day.”
He also added he did not believe the hospital “would have done anything differently”, adding that Ms Davis was a “delightful lady”.
The film star, who met Warwick at the tender age of 17, died at the age of 53 in March 2024. Warwick publicly announced her passing with an emotional tribute. He said in statement: “Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs. She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.”
In the moving announcement, Warwick, who met Samantha on the set of George Luca’s film Willow, went on to describe his late wife as his “most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career”. Their children Harrison and Annabelle also paid tribute to their late mother, stating that her “love and happiness carried us through our whole lives”. “Mum is our best friend and we’re honoured to have received a love like hers,” they added.
In November, nine months on from Samantha’s passing, it was reported that Warwick was the sole trustee in his late wife’s will. Documents obtained by The Sun revealed her estate was valued at £536,830 at the time of her death. It’s understood that her last will and testament, signed in 1998, remained unchanged for the rest of her life.
Samantha, born on January 30, 1971, as Samantha D. Burroughs, suffered from achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder causing disproportionate dwarfism. She was recognised for her roles in Through the Dragon’s Eye, ShortFellas and Honky Sausages, and even had an uncredited role alongside her husband in the 1988 film Willow.
It was on the set of Willow where Samantha and Warwick first crossed paths as teenagers. Warwick, then 17, was already known for his role as Ewok Wicket in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Samantha, aged 16, was the daughter of Peter Burroughs, a co-star in Willow, where Warwick secured the lead role opposite Val Kilmer.
Their romance blossomed on set, with Samantha working as an extra, leading to four years of courtship before they tied the knot in 1991. In his tribute to Samantha in March, Warwick thanked his wife for her support throughout his career and credited her for his success in the industry.
“With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power,” Warwick stated as he announced his beloved wife’s death. “Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3. She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear.”
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