Cause of death of KTLA entertainment reporter announced

UPDATED with official cause of death: In a report obtained by KTLA, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner said the network’s former entertainment reporter, Sam Rubin, suffered from “ischemic heart disease due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease” and listed the cause of death as “natural.”

According to the broadcaster, 64-year-old Rubin suffered from stomach pains on the morning of May 10 and went to the hospital himself. Shortly after 11 a.m., the journalist was pronounced dead in the emergency room.

BEFORE on May 10: Sam Rubin, a longtime entertainment reporter for KTLA and a regular red carpet interviewer who was a mainstay of Los Angeles television news, died today, the network announced. He was 64.

Rubin’s family confirmed that he died of a heart attack, KTLA reported. He was last on the air Thursday morning and showed no outward signs of illness, according to his colleagues. He called in sick on Friday.

Rubin’s KTLA colleagues remembered him with tears and anecdotes on the air this afternoon. “We don’t know what happened, but it was sudden,” said longtime morning anchor Frank Buckley. Another longtime colleague, Eric Spillman, called in and said, “I can’t believe we’re covering this — it’s such a shock.”

“KTLA 5 is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Sam Rubin,” the station said published on social media“Sam was a giant in the local news and entertainment world and a fixture on Los Angeles morning television for decades. His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he cherished most. Our thoughts are with Sam’s family during this difficult time.”

Among the callers was Henry Winkler, one of Rubin’s favorite guests.

“It’s the worst,” Winkler said by phone from an airport. “I know two things: He made you feel special every time (he interviewed you), and I’m not the only person who felt that special warmth.”

The network also aired a minute-long clip from the 2020 SAG Awards red carpet today, in which none other than Tom Hanks stopped to talk to Rubin, turning the tables and extolling the virtues of KTLA, Rubin and “Sky Chopper 5.”

Rubin has joined KTLA Morning News in 1991, about six months after the show’s premiere. He has won several News Emmys and Golden Mike Awards and received a lifetime achievement award from the Southern California Broadcasters Association. He was also named Best Entertainment Reporter by the Los Angeles Press Club.

Rubin was also a long-time regular on KNX-AM in Los Angeles, providing short reports from showbiz, making regular appearances on British television and BBC radio, and also doing radio and television reports in Australia.

Rubin is a founding member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the largest organization of film and television critics in the United States with over 200 members. In 1996, the BFCA created the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and he hosted the 2013 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.

In 2021, Rubin ran as the broadcasters’ representative on the LA board of SAG-AFTRA as part of the MembershipFirst party alongside Matthew Modine and Joely Fisher. His primary concerns included changes to the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan’s eligibility requirements.

After hearing the news, Fisher wrote on Twitter today: “This is a shocking loss!!! #REST IN PEACE to my long-time friend.”

He was also the owner of SRE, Inc., a television production company that produced more than 200 hours of broadcast and cable programs, including several Live from Red Carpet Shows and 120 episodes of the talk show Hollywood Uncensored with Sam Rubin that aired on Reelz.

Rubin is the author of two books and his work has been published worldwide both in print and online. Sam appears regularly on British television and BBC radio and is a regular contributor to Triple M Radio and Australian television station Channel 9.

His charitable efforts included sponsoring the annual Bay-to-Bay bike ride from Orange County to San Diego to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research.

He leaves behind his wife Leslie and their four children.

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