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George Michael, the British pop superstar who reached early fame with WHAM! dies at 53.
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George Michael, the British pop superstar who reached early fame with WHAM! dies at 53. ...
George Michael's boyfriend hit out today after a coroner revealed the star died of natural causes.
An announcement stated that the 53-year-old Wham! star died from a disease of the heart muscle and a fatty liver, meaning an inquest into his death is not needed.
The singer's boyfriend Fadi Fawaz,who found him dead at his home in Goring-on-Thames on Christmas Day, took to Twitter shortly after the coroner's statement, tweeting: "F*** YOU" and "The Truth is out", according to the Daily Mail.
Fadi Fawaz found George Michael dead on Christmas Day last year. Photo / Instagram
Fawaz has come under fire from some fans since the singer's death and his Twitter account was said have been hacked before comments were posted suggesting Michael had wanted to take his own life. The emergency call he made was also leaked.
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Today's announcement means that, more than two months after his death, Michael's body will finally be returned to his family ahead of a planned funeral.
It also means it is unlikely a full toxicology report will ever be released.
Darren Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire, said today: "Inquiries into the death of George Michael have been concluded and the final post-mortem report received.
"As there is a confirmed natural cause of death, being dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver, the investigation is being discontinued and there is no need for an inquest or any further enquiries."
Fadi Fawaz and George Michael in a photo from Fadi's Instagram account.
The funeral had been delayed after an initial post-mortem examination was said to have been "inconclusive".
Toxicology tests were also ordered to determine whether drugs contributed to his death, but today's statement means only his family are likely to see the results.
Michael, whose hits including Last Christmas and Freedom, had suffered health scares and fought drug addiction for years.
Tweets posted on the account of Fawaz had suggested the star had previously tried to take his own life. But Fawaz later insisted his account had been hacked.
The former hairdresser, who dated Michael for five years, had been questioned by police as they tried to piece together the final hours of the star's life.
He is understood to have said he spent Christmas Eve with the singer, but fell asleep in his car that night, only discovering Michael was dead when he went to wake him the following morning.
Adele reacts after a performance tribute to George Michael at the 59th annual Grammy Awards on February 12. Photo / AP
Michael's cousin, Andros Georgiou, had said he suspected the singer died of an accidental drugs overdose and former lover Paul Stag claimed he had been hooked on a drug called Liquid G.
But Michael's former partner Kenny Goss said he believed the pop superstar's body "just gave up".
Speaking earlier this month, he said: "I can't say for sure but I think his body just gave up. All these years, it was just weak."
Dilated cardiomyopathy, identified as a cause of Michael's death today, is a disease of the heart muscle which affects how blood is able to pump around the body.
In some cases, it is an inherited condition, otherwise, it is caused by things such as viral infections, uncontrolled high blood pressure and problems with the heart valves.
Myocarditis meanwhile is inflammation in or around the heart and is usually caused by a viral, bacterial or fungal infection.
The third condition listed by the coroner, fatty liver disease can be caused by a build-up of fat in the liver and is usually seen in people who are overweight or obese.
A different type of fatty liver disease is caused by excessive drinking and is known as alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Chris Martin performs a George Michael song on stage at the Brit Awards 2017 in London on February 22. Photo / AP
Tributes were paid to George Michael at the recent Brit and Grammy awards ceremonies.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sang alongside Michael's rendition of his ballad A Different Corner at the Brits while clips from his career were played.
The performance followed a tearful speech from Michael's former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley and the band's backing singers Helen DeMacque and Shirlie Holliman, otherwise known as Pepsi & Shirlie.
Ridgeley said: "On Christmas Day 2016, the greatest singer-songwriter of his generation, an icon of his era and my beloved friend George Michael was lost."
He described Michael as a "supernova" and that his death "felt like the sky had fallen in".
At the Grammys, Adele performed a slowed-down version of Michael's song Fast Love after restarting her first rendition, saying the tribute was "too important".
