How did Sam Rubin die? Veteran KTLA news anchor’s cause of death revealed nearly two months after demise

Veteran KTLA entertainment journalist Sam Rubin tragically passed away on Friday, May 10, at the age of 64. At the time, Rubin had called 911 following his doctor's advice after facing stomach pain. The journalist died in the emergency room of the local hospital a little while later. Rubin's examination was completed on May 13 and his death was certified on July 9.

On Tuesday, July 9, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner announced that the journalist had passed away of "ischemic heart disease due to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease".

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Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease results in a lethal heartbeat caused by a lack of blood and oxygen flow to the heart. Rubin's death was listed as natural.

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Sam Rubin passed away due to ischemic heart disease

On July 9, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner revealed that Rubin had arrived at the hospital on May 10 morning after calling 911 due to stomach pain. However, later that day, Rubin was pronounced dead at 11:03 am. Rubin's family confirmed to KTLA that he had a heart attack.

A full Medical Examiner’s report will be available by the end of the week. The DME described atherosclerotic coronary artery disease as:

"lethal heartbeat due to lack of blood and oxygen flowing to the heart."

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Ischemic heart disease is considered to be a leading cause of death worldwide. It is also known as Coronary Heart Disease and a 2020 report by the NIH revealed that the condition affects around 1.72% of the world’s population, which is approximately 126 million individuals.

Ischemic heart disease caused nine million deaths globally according to the 2020 study and is more likely to affect men than women. Symptoms of the disease usually come up in the individual's 40s and can keep increasing with age. NIH detailed:

"IHD (Ischemic heart disease) is the number one cause of death, disability, and human suffering globally."

Sam Rubin joined KTLA 5 Morning News back in 1991 and made an instant impact due to his charm and comprehensive knowledge. Over the years, Sam has been on the receiving end of a plethora of accolades, including the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California's Golden Mic Award.

Rubin was named the Los Angeles Press Club's best entertainment reporter and even received the National Hispanic Media Coalition's Impact Award for outstanding integrity in broadcast journalism in 2013. He was also a Broadcast Film Critics’ Association founding member.

KTLA was the first to report Sam Rubin's passing live on air and release a statement on X regarding the same. KTLA's Frank Buckley, a longtime colleague of Rubin, announced his passing on air. Buckley remarked that the Sam people saw on TV, was the same Sam that was off-air. Buckley announced:

"Our hearts are broken. To all of us, he shared his mornings with on television, and to those he worked with behind the scenes … we will not forget him. Quite simply, Sam was KTLA."

KTLA's statement read:

"KTLA 5 is profoundly saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin. Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades."

The outlet added:

"His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he cherished the most. Our thoughts are with Sam’s family during this difficult time."

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Referred to as "The Moses of Hollywood Moguls" by Tom Hanks, Sam Rubin's final on-air appearance came on May 9, the day before his death, when he sat down with actress Jane Seymour.

Rubin is survived by his wife, Leslie, and the couple's four kids.