Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy and reprised the role for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, apparently suffered a major heart attack during a flight home from London to Los Angeles on Friday. According to TMZ the plane landed at LAX airport, where paramedics and other emergency personnel were awaiting Fisher’s arrival just after 12 noon local time.
Fellow actress Anna Akana tweeted about witnessing Fisher’s apparent cardiac arrest, saying she “stopped breathing on the flight home” while claiming she “was on the plane next to” Fisher:
https://twitter.com/AnnaAkana/status/812403915496910848
https://twitter.com/AnnaAkana/status/812408246774341632
The Hollywood Reporter later confirmed with airport police that emergency units responded “to someone with a medical emergency on a plane,” but refused to comment on the individual’s identity. Meanwhile, law enforcement sources told NBC News Fisher “went into full cardiac arrest” towards the end of the flight and was immediately “rushed to the hospital” after landing.
https://twitter.com/BraddJaffy/status/812411727027601408
Additional sources who spoke with the Los Angeles Times added that Fisher was apparently “in a lot of distress on the flight. The paper of record also claimed that the 60-year-old actress was in “critical condition” upon entering an undisclosed hospital in the area.
UPDATE #1: NBC News reports several sources familiar with Fisher’s condition upon landing at LAX described the situation as being “not good.”
Meanwhile, TMZ — who initially broke the news — claims paramedics on board the plane spent at least 15 minutes trying to revive Fisher following her alleged cardiac arrest. They were unable to get a pulse during that time. At the moment Fisher is being cared for at the UCLA Medical Center.
UPDATE #2: United Airlines issued an official statement to the Hollywood Reporter, confirming a medical emergency aboard the flight — but not the individual’s name:
Medical personnel met United flight 935 from London to Los Angeles upon arrival today after the crew reported that a passenger was unresponsive. Our thoughts are with our customer at this time and any requests for additional information should be directed to local authorities
UPDATE #3: According to the Associated Press, Todd Fisher — Carrie’s brother — said she was “out of emergency” condition and stable Friday afternoon. Otherwise, the star’s younger brother wouldn’t divulge any further details regarding her status or the incident on the plane.
(Via TMZ, Hollywood Reporter, NBC News, Los Angeles Times and Associated Press)
