Triangle Of Sadness Star Charlbi Dean's Cause Of Death Confirmed By New York Medical Examiner

The South African model and actor died suddenly in August at the age of 32.
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Charlbi Dean pictured at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year
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Triangle Of Sadness actor Charlbi Dean’s cause of death has been confirmed by the New York City Medical Examiner.

Charlbi died suddenly in August, at the age of 32.

At the time, the South African-born model and actor’s family said in a statement that she had died following an “unexpected sudden illness”.

A spokesperson for the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has now told People magazine that Charlbi died of bacterial sepsis.

This sepsis was caused due to exposure to the bacteria known as Capnocytophaga, with the illness being described as a “complication from asplenia (the absence of a spleen)”. Her spleen was removed in 2009, following a car accident in Cape Town.

Charlbi won huge praise for her performance in Ruben Östlund’s film Triangle Of Sadness, which received the Palme D’Or after its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

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Charlbi and the cast of Triangle Of Sadness in a promotional picture for the film
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The movie – in which Charlbi and Harris Dickinson played a pair of models who are gifted a trip on board a luxury yacht – was released posthumously earlier this year. It also stars Woody Harrelson and Dolly De Leon.

Director Ruben Östlund wrote on Instagram following Charlbi’s death: “It is an honour to have gotten to know and work with her. Charlbi had a care and sensitivity that lifted her colleagues and the entire film crew.

“The thought that she will not be by our side in the future makes me very sad.”

He added: “At this difficult time, my thoughts go out to her loved ones, her family and her fiance Luke.”

As well as Triangle Of Sadness, Charlbi’s on-screen credits included the supehero drama series Black Lightning and the 2016 Blood In The Water.