Superman star Margot Kidder's death was suicide, coroner rules

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Margot KidderImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Margot Kidder worked in film, TV and theatre but her career peaked with the Superman films

A coroner has ruled Superman actress Margot Kidder's death was suicide.

The 69-year-old actress was found dead at her home in Montana on 13 May.

Park County Coroner's office said she died "as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose".

A joint statement from the coroner's office and her family urged "those suffering from mental illnesses, addiction and/or suicidal thoughts to seek appropriate counselling and treatment".

The actress found fame starring as Lois Lane alongside Christopher Reeve in the Superman films of the 1970s and 1980s.

Her family has asked for privacy and said no further details will be released.

The actress, who had bipolar disorder, told People magazine in 1996 about her mental health problems and revealed that she had taken an overdose at 14 and suffered badly from mood swings.

She gave the interview following her high-profile disappearance for several days in 1996 where she ended up living on the streets, paranoid that people were out to get her.

"The reality of my life has been grand and wonderful, punctuated by these odd blips and burps of madness," she said.

Image source, AFP
Image caption,
Kidder, around the time of her role in the first Superman film

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