Coroner: George Michael's Cause of Death "Heart Condition." But Was It Brought On By HIV/AIDS?

Singer George Michael was undeniably enormously talented, and by all accounts, kind-hearted. He also engaged in anonymous sex in places like public bathrooms, and had not one, but two lovers who died from HIV/AIDS. The singer has long been rumored to have HIV/AIDS, and to have died on Christmas 2016 from its complications.

On March 7, 2017, the Coroner said that George Michael died "of a heart condition." Darren Salter, the senior coroner for Oxfordshire County, said Mr. Michael, 53, died at his home in Goring-on-Thames of natural causes: dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.

"Dilated cardiomyopathy develops when the heart’s ventricles enlarge and weaken, a process that usually starts in the left ventricle. The weakening of the heart’s chambers causes the heart muscle to work harder, and over time that reduces its ability to pump blood."

This from the New York Times today. Does this sound kind of strange to anyone else?

We think this explanation is merely a cover up by his estate. Michael was not all that obese, and 53 is much too young for such an explanation. "Because his death was natural, the investigation is being discontinued and there is no need for an inquest or any further enquiries,” Mr. Salter said in a statement. “No further updates will be provided and the family requests the media and public respect their privacy.” Yeah. Got it.

In 1991, Michael began to date Anselmo Feleppa, a Brazilian dress designer, whom he had met at a concert in Rio. Six months into their relationship, Feleppa discovered that he had HIV. Michael later said: "It was terrifying news. I thought I could have the disease too. I couldn't go through it with my family because I didn't know how to share it with them – they didn't even know I was gay."

In 1993, Feleppa died of an AIDS-related brain haemorrhage. It is possible that Feleppa was the source of the Singer's infection, and that Michael has fought the immuno-condition for more than 20 years. But Michael was also known to engage in anonymous sex in the 90's.

In 2011, Michael tweeted: "I HAVE NEVER AND WILL NEVER APOLOGISE FOR MY SEX LIFE ! GAY SEX IS NATURAL, GAY SEX IS GOOD! NOT EVERYBODY DOES IT, BUT.....HA HA!" Capitalization in original tweet, which quotes from one of his 1990's hits.

In a 1999 interview with The Advocate, Michael told the Editor in Chief, Judy Wieder, that it was "falling in love with a man that ended his conflict over bisexuality." "I never had a moral problem with being gay", Michael told Wieder. "I thought I had fallen in love with a woman a couple of times. Then I fell in love with a man, and realized that none of those things had been love." In 2007, Michael said he had hidden the fact he was gay because of worries over what effect it might have on his mother.

Speaking about his time with Wham! in the 1980s, Michael said: "I used to sleep with women quite a lot in the Wham! days but never felt it could develop into a relationship because I knew that, emotionally, I was a gay man. I didn't want to commit to them but I was attracted to them. Then I became ashamed that I might be using them." In 2009, Michael said: "My depression at the end of Wham! was because I was beginning to realize I was gay, not bisexual."

Questions of Michael's sexual orientation persisted in public until 7 April 1998, when he was arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public restroom of the Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills, California. In 2007, Michael said "that hiding his sexuality made him feel 'fraudulent', and his eventual outing, when he was arrested [...] in 1998, was a subconsciously deliberate act."

Michael was arrested by an undercover Beverly Hills Policeman named Marcelo Rodríguez, in a sting operation using so-called "pretty police". In an MTV interview, Michael stated: "I got followed into the restroom and then this cop-I didn't know it was a cop, obviously-he started playing this game, which I think is called, 'I'll show you mine, you show me yours, and then when you show me yours, I'm going to nick (arrest) you!"

After pleading "no contest" to the charge, Michael was fined $810 and ordered to perform 80 hours of community service. Soon afterwards, Michael made a video for his single "Outside", which satirized the public toilet incident and featured men dressed as policemen kissing.

Rodríguez claimed that this video "mocked" him, and that Michael had slandered him in interviews. In 1999, he brought a US$10 million court case in California against the singer.

The court dismissed the case, but an appellate court reinstated the case on 3 December 2002. The court then ruled Rodríguez, as a public official, could not legally recover damages for emotional distress.

After the incident, Michael became explicit about his sexuality and his relationship with Kenny Goss which began in June 1996.

On 23 July 2006, Michael was again accused of engaging in anonymous public sex, this time at London's Hampstead Heath. The anonymous partner was stated (wrongly, as it turned out) to be 58-year-old Norman Kirtland, an unemployed van driver.

Despite stating that he intended to sue both the News of the World tabloid who supposedly photographed the incident and Norman Kirtland for slander, Michael stated that he cruises for anonymous sex and that this was not an issue in his relationship with partner Kenny Goss.

It can fairly be said of everyone who dies that they go into cardiac arrest. The heart always stops beating when a person dies. Heart failure is a recognized complication arising from HIV/AIDS and other "serious underlying health issues." See for example, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-michael-heart-failure-died-questions-about-british-pop-singers-health/

From the BBC:

Michael, 53, launched his career with Wham! in the 1980s and later continued his success as a solo performer, is said to have "passed away peacefully at home".

Thames Valley Police said South Central Ambulance Service rushed to the Singer's estate in Goring in Oxfordshire at 1:42 pm English time (GMT). Police say they were treating the death as "unexplained but there were no suspicious circumstances."

In a statement, the star's publicist said: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.

"The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage."

Treatment for pneumonia

Michael, who was born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in North London, sold more than 100 million albums across his 4 decade career.

He first found fame with his schoolfriend Andrew Ridgeley in duo Wham! before going on to release solo albums, including the multi-million selling Faith and follow-up Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1.

It outsold Faith in the UK but led to Michael losing a lawsuit against record label Sony, over his frustration over how the album has been marketed.

As his career faded, Michael faced headlines for the wrong reasons.

In October 2006 he pled guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and was banned from driving and in 2008 he was cautioned for possession of class A drugs, including crack cocaine.

In September 2010 Michael received an eight-week prison sentence following an incident the previous July in which he crashed his Range Rover into a shop in north London.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgely first found fame with Wham! in the 1980s

Earlier this month it was announced that producer and songwriter Naughty Boy was working with Michael on a new album. In 2011, Michael postponed a series of concerts after being taken to hospital for treatment for pneumonia.

After treatment in a Vienna hospital, he made a tearful appearance outside his London home and said it had been "touch and go" whether he lived. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38432862

Doctors were said to have performed a tracheotomy to keep his airways open and he was unconscious for most of his hospitalization.