Clint Eastwood’s long-term girlfriend’s cause of death has been revealed, just days after the A-list actor addressed her passing. Christina Sandera died of a heart attack at age 61 on July 18, a representative from the Monterey County Health Department confirmed exclusively to The Post on Tuesday. The death certificate listed her immediate cause as cardiac arrhythmia, which is an abnormality in the timing or pattern of the heartbeat.
Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease was outlined as an additional condition that led to Sandera’s death. The death certificate also noted she was a philanthropist. News of Sandera’s passing was confirmed by the Hollywood Reporter last week, with Eastwood releasing a statement.
“Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much,” the “Cry Macho” actor, 94, said after her death. The pair met when Sandera worked as a hostess at Eastwood’s Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. They began dating in 2014 but kept their romance out of the public eye.
Sandera only attended a handful of events with the Hollywood icon during their 10-year relationship, including the 2015 Academy Awards when Eastwood was nominated for six Oscars. She also accompanied him to the movie premieres of “Sully” in 2016, “The Mule” in 2018, and “The 15:17 to Paris” that same year. The couple walked their last red carpet together in November 2019 at AFI Fest in Hollywood, California.
Sandera was not in the entertainment industry but appeared as a loving and supportive partner at the premiere of Eastwood’s film “Richard Jewell,” posing for photos alongside her famous boyfriend. The “Million Dollar Baby” actor never married Sandera. He was previously married to model Maggie Johnson from 1953 to 1984.
Eastwood gave marriage another shot with his second wife, TV anchor Dina Ruiz, from 1996 to 2014. He met Sandera shortly after finalizing his second divorce. Despite never walking down the aisle, Eastwood’s eight children — Laurie, Kimber, Alison, Kathryn, Francesca, and Morgan, as well as sons Kyle and Scott — treated Sandera as part of the family.
Morgan, 27, paid tribute to her father’s longtime love on Sunday by sharing a photo of herself and her husband, Tanner Koopmans, with Eastwood and Sandera at their wedding last month . “A devastating loss for our whole family,” Morgan wrote. “Thank you Christina for being a good partner to my Dad ❤️ you will be greatly missed.
” Morgan, who’s currently pregnant with her first child, married Koopman on Eastwood’s famed 22-acre coastal ranch in Monterey County — the same location as the restaurant where he met Sandera. Morgan is the only daughter Eastwood shares with his second wife. Dina, her Scott Fisher, and Morgan’s seven other siblings were also in attendance for the wedding.
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