Elvis actress Shonka Dukureh’s cause of death is known

Elvis actress Shonka Dukureh’s cause of death is known.

The 44-year-old actress, who played Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s hit biopic, was found dead at her Nashville home last month.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Baz Luhrmann and Austin Taylor talk about Shonka

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Dukureh was found unresponsive by one of her children, who immediately ran to alert a neighbor.

The neighbor called police to the property around 9:30 a.m. on July 21.

Police said at the time there was “no apparent foul play” at the scene.

A coroner has now ruled that Dukureh died of natural causes.

An autopsy revealed the actress died of “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”

She leaves behind two small children.

Playing Big Mama Thornton in Elvis, which also starred Tom Hanks and Austin Butler, was blues singer Dukureh’s breakthrough as an actress.

She developed a close bond with Luhrmann during filming, and Dukureh regularly thanked “Baz” for her role.

After news of her death broke, the Australian director said he and the cast of Elvis were “heartbroken” by her death.

“A special light went out today and the entire Elvis film family is heartbroken at the loss of Shonka Dukureh,” he wrote on Instagram.

“From the moment she came into our world, Shonka brought joy, spirit and of course her voice and music.

“Whenever she was on set, on stage, or even just in the room, everyone always felt cared for.

“Shonka was just starting to find a bigger audience for her tremendous talent, and I could see her cheering up entire crowds at Coachella and beyond.

“A favorite word of Shonka in everyday use was ‘blessing’ and I along with the entire Elvis cast, crew and musical staff feel truly blessed to have had time with her.”

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