Cause of death of Sam Rubin announced

KTLA

The cause of death of Sam Rubin has been announced. The veteran KTLA entertainment reporter died of a heart attack secondary to coronary artery disease, the Los Angeles County coroner confirmed Tuesday.

According to the coroner’s report, Rubin suffered from “ischemic heart disease due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.”

The reason given is of course given.

Rubin was last on the air on May 9 and, according to his colleagues, showed no outward signs of illness. The next day, he called in sick and went to the hospital with stomach pains after calling 911. He was pronounced dead in the emergency room a short time later.

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.

“KTLA 5 is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Sam Rubin,” the station said published on social media on the day of his death. “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.”

Rubin was 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.

Tom Tapp and Erik Pedersen contributed to this report.