Sex symbol Raquel Welch’s cause of death

The renowned actress and model, who was 82, had never previously disclosed her diagnosis to the public.

1Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Former sex symbol Raquel Welch went into cardiac arrest when she died in February, it has been revealed.

The two-time Golden Globe nominee was also battling Alzheimer’s at the time of her death, according to Welch’s death certificate, obtained by TMZ.

Welch was pronounced dead at 2.25am on February 15 and she has since been cremated, the outlet reported.

Actress Raquel Welch in a scene from One Million Years BC

Raquel Welch in 2017. (Photo by Vera Anderson/WireImage)

The renowned actress and model, who was 82, had never previously disclosed her Alzheimer’s diagnosis to the public.

Page Six has reached out to Welch’s estate for comment.

Welch was propelled to global stardom after landing iconic roles in the hit 1966 films Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B.C..

In the latter, she appeared in a skimpy deerskin bikini that earned her a sex symbol status, which she maintained throughout her glittering career.

Years later, Welch said she “almost died” filming the movie after having to wear the skimpy outfit in severe weather conditions, which prompted her to develop a severe case of tonsillitis.

“I had already so much penicillin when I was wearing the fur bikini that I almost died,” she told Fox News in 2017.

“I had to rush, turn my car around and head right back to the doctor’s office, just run upstairs, jump in the elevator and all that.”

“And I barely got there. They had to shoot me with an antidote. Otherwise, I would have died. It was really rough shoot, man. Really rough. And then I came to London and everybody knew who I was,” she added.

Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Welch’s on-screen career saw her bag a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for her role in 1974’s The Three Musketeers as Constance de Bonacieux.

In addition to her acting success, Welch was named one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History by Empire magazine in 1995.

Her sex symbol status also ranked her in 3rd in Playboy’s 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century.

The Legally Blonde actress, who was reclusive in her final years, had a turbulent love life that saw her tie the knot four times.

This story was originally published by Page Six and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Sex symbol Raquel Welch’s cause of death