Porn star Marilyn Chambers died of heart disease

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Porn star Marilyn Chambers, who was found dead at the age of 56 at her Los Angeles-area home in April, died of complications of heart disease, coroner's officials said on Monday.

The body of Chambers, who starred in "Behind the Green Door," one of the first pornographic films to be released widely in the United States, was found at her suburban Canyon Country home on April 12.

Los Angeles coroner's officials said at the time that Chambers had likely died of natural causes despite her relatively young age.

The autopsy and toxicology tests confirmed she had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and aneurysm related to heart disease.

Toxicology tests showed the presence of the painkiller hydrocodone and the antidepressant Citalopram in Chambers' bloodstream but not in amounts that could have caused her death, coroner's officials said.

The former Marilyn Ann Taylor began in show business as a model, appearing as the blond cover girl on the Ivory Snow soap box, where she posed holding a baby under the tag line "99 & 44/100% pure".

She broke into the adult film industry by appearing in 1972's "Behind the Green Door," which caused a stir in part because Chambers was seen having sex with African-American porn star Johnny Keyes.

Chambers appeared in more than two dozen adult films, including several with the late porn star John Holmes, who died of AIDS complications in 1988, and she had flings with careers in music and politics.