The cause of death for Hollywood legend Raquel Welch has been revealed.
The Hollywood star, best known for her roles in One Million Years BC (1966) and Fantastic Voyage (1966), sadly passed away on February 15 at the age of 82.
A number of celebrities, including previous co-stars, have paid tribute to the acting veteran since her death was announced nearly two months ago.
Now, TMZ - which obtained Welch's death certificate - is reporting that an underlying cause of her death was Alzheimer's disease. The immediate cause was cardiac arrest.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is a progressive neurological disease that affects a number of brain functions, including memory.
She died in the early hours of the morning, with her death certificate revealing that she has since been cremated.
When it first emerged that the actress had died, her management company simply said that she'd "passed away peacefully early [in the] morning after a brief illness".
"Her career spanned over 50 years starring in over 30 films and 50 television series and appearances. The Golden Globe winner, in more recent years, was involved in a very successful line of wigs," her management continued. "Raquel leaves behind her two children, son Damon Welch and her daughter, Tahnee Welch."
Despite not having much dialogue in One Million Years BC, her deerskin bikini in the movie turn her into a bona fide sex symbol.
Soon enough, the star became one of the hottest female actors of the 1960s and 70s, winning multiple awards.
Her career - which spanned more than five decades - saw Welch appear on popular TV series including Bewitched, The Virginian and McHale's Navy.
Welch bagged the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role in the 1974 film The Three Musketeers.
She also received her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.
Her Legally Blonde co-star, Reese Witherspoon, wrote on social media following the actress' passing: "So sad to hear about Raquel Welch's passing. I loved working with her on Legally Blonde. She was elegant, professional, and glamorous beyond belief. Simply stunning. May all her angels carry her home. Sending love to her family and her many fans.
Actress Laraine Newman, who was part of the original Saturday Night Live cast, wrote: "When Raquel Welch hosted SNL, I had a sketch with her in which I played Lina Wermuller. It was cut because she wanted to sing a song instead but a couple of years later she sent me a postcard from Italy with Wertmuller’s autograph. RIP sweet lady."
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