14 DAY TRIAL // Jeff Hanneman, guitarist and songwriter for Slayer, died last week at 49. The reported cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver, which was just confirmed in an update on the band’s official website.
Though the rocker had been dealing with other health issues as well, such as a flesh-eating infection that doctors believed he contracted when he was bit by a spider in 2011, the cause of death is alcohol-related.
“We've just learned that the official cause of Jeff's death was alcohol related cirrhosis. While he had his health struggles over the years, including the recent Necrotizing fasciitis infection that devastated his well-being, Jeff and those close to him were not aware of the true extent of his liver condition until the last days of his life,” reads the statement.
However, he seemed to be on the mend in recent months, it continues.
“Contrary to some reports, Jeff was not on a transplant list at the time of his passing, or at any time prior to that. In fact, by all accounts, it appeared that he had been improving – he was excited and looking forward to working on a new record,” the statement adds.