Chris Farley’s Death, 27 Years Later: Inside the Funnyman's Troubling Final Days and the Mark He Made on the World of Comedy

Mar. 15, 2025

Chris Farley at the Mann’s Village Theatre in Westwood, California.Photo:Steve Granitz/WireImage

Steve Granitz/WireImage

27 years ago, comedianChris Farley’slife came to a tragic end.

The Wisconsin-born star was discovered dead in his Chicago apartment from an apparent drug overdose on Dec. 18, 1997. He was 33 years old — the same age his longtime idol and fellow comedianJohn Belushiwas when he died 15 years prior.

The comedian continued onSNLfor the next five years, debuting legendary characters, including motivational speaker Matt Foley, a wannabe Chippendales dancer and Cindy, one of the Gap girls. Though he wasfired from the sketch comedy showin 1995 (along with his close friend Adam Sandler), Farley found success on the big screen, appearing inTommy BoyandBeverly Hills Ninja.

“I said, ‘Chris, you can’t follow John. You can’t follow his track. The guy did drugs. He’s dead. You can’t follow him with the drugs to find out who he was,’ ” Belushi’s brother Jim said onDavid SpadeandDana Carvey’sFly on the Wallpodcast.

But Farley brushed off the concerns of his loved ones and continued to live a life of excess.

“I mean, there’s no control in life, is there?” Farley toldRolling Stonein 1997. “There’s only one who’s in control, and He’ll take me when He wants me. I don’t want to know about it. It’s none of my business. But when it happens, I just ask that it won’t be painful and that He forgives me my sins.”

From his final days to his lasting legacy, here is everything to know about Chris Farley’s tragic death.

How did Chris Farley die?

Chris Farley attends a Saturday Night Live cast press conference on September 18, 1990 in New York.Alan Singer/NBC

Alan Singer/NBC

There was no evidence of foul play and no drugs found in the apartment when Farley’s body was discovered — but those closest to the comedian immediately suspected thathe had succumbed to his addictions. An autopsy report later confirmed what they feared: Farley died from an accidental overdose of cocaine and morphine.

In addition to the drugs, blood tests revealed that the comedian had taken the antidepressant Prozac and an antihistamine — but neither of those had contributed to his death, according to theLos Angeles Times. What was found to be a significant factor in Farley’s death, however, was coronary atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, the medical examiner reported, per theChicago Tribune. According to theMayo Clinic, obesity, alcohol use and an unhealthy diet are all risk factors for coronary artery disease; Farley was 5 feet 8 inches tall and 296 lbs. at the time of his death and was well known for his addictions to drugs, alcohol and food.

“Chris played Russian roulette with drugs and alcohol, and it caught up with him,” Jillian Seely, a close friend of Farley’s, told PEOPLE shortly after his death. “He wanted more than anything to be sober, but his addictions overtook him.”

Even Farley himself recognized that he was on a self-destructive path.

“Let’s just say I had my share of fun,” Farley toldRolling Stonein 1997 about his drug usage. “But all that s— does is kill someone. It is a demon that must be snuffed out. It is the end.”

Where did Chris Farley die?

Farley was found dead in his 60th-floor apartment in the 100-story John Hancock Tower in downtown Chicago. His younger brother, John, discovered his body in the front room of the rented apartment — lying lifeless on his back, wearing sweatpants and an open shirt.

“He died alone on a linoleum floor,” Father Matt Foley, a friend of Farley’s and the inspiration for one of his famousSNLcharacters, said inthe documentaryI Am Chris Farley. “It was not what we wanted for him or what he wanted for himself.”

When did Chris Farley die?

Chris Farley attends the ‘Excess Baggage’ premiere at the Mann’s Village Theatre on August 25, 1997 in Westwood, California.Steve Granitz/WireImage

Farley’s body was discovered on Dec. 18, 1997, at around 2 p.m. However, his deadly downward spiral began four days prior, on Dec. 14.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, Farley spent the night partying at the Chicago club Karma. At about 2 a.m. on Monday, he moved the party to his apartment, according toEntertainment Weekly, where he did cocaine for nearly seven more hours. Farley then continued to party Monday evening, attending the 38th-anniversary celebration for Second City (the Chicago improv company where he got his start) and then club hopping throughout the night.

“He was partying too much and had no sense of direction,” former Chicago Bulls playerDennis Rodmantold PEOPLE after he ran into Farley that night and had one of his bodyguards help him home.

Farley’s antics carried into Tuesday, Dec. 16: He allegedly hired an exotic dancer named Autumn to entertain him at his apartment, perEntertainment Weekly, where he was smoking marijuana, drinking vodka and trying to score cocaine.

“You could just tell he was on a rampage,” Autumn told the publication at the time.

Another exotic dancer, Heidi Hauser, alleged that she spent Wednesday, Dec. 17 — the last day of Farley’s life — with the comedian. She claimed she spent most of the day with him in his apartment as he consumed large amounts of vodka, heroin and cocaine. Hauser eventually left at around 3 a.m. Thursday, when Farley passed out on the floor of his apartment. His body was discovered 11 hours later, on Thursday afternoon.

How old was Chris Farley when he died?

Farley was 33 years old when he died.

What were Chris Farley’s last words?

Chris Farley attends 69th Annual Academy Awards on March 24, 1997 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Farley’s alleged last words were spoken to Heidi Hauser, the exotic dancer who he spent the final hours of his life with. According toNew York Magazine, the two argued over money, which prompted Hauser to get up to leave. Farley attempted to follow her but collapsed on his apartment floor, struggling to breathe.

“Don’t leave me,” Farley reportedly said to Hauser before passing out. She then allegedly took pictures of him, stole his watch and left — leaving him a note saying she had had a lot of fun.

What was the public reaction to Chris Farley’s death?

Phil Hartman and Chris Farley at a Saturday Night Live cast party.Barry King/WireImage

Barry King/WireImage

“I wasn’t shocked,” Mike Myers said about Farley’s death in the documentaryI Am Chris Farley, “but I was very sad.”

Public memorials for Farley were held in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Stars likeAdam Sandler,Chris RockandDan Aykroydattended his funeral in his hometown of Madison, Wis., where a copy of “A Clown’s Prayer” was handed out to the mourners.

“As I stumble through this life, help me create more laughter than tears, dispense more happiness than gloom, spread more cheer than despair,” the prayer, which Farley kept in his wallet, reads in part.

Why didn’t David Spade go to Chris Farley’s funeral?

Several of Farley’s fellow comedians andSaturday Night Livecostars attended his private funeral in Madison. But notably absent from the services was Farley’s best friend,David Spade.

Spade and Farley not only appeared onSNLtogether, but they also starred in the filmsTommy BoyandBlack Sheep. Their friendship went beyond the big and small screen, however — with Spade describing their bond as “like an old married couple” to theTodayshow. So when Spade did not attend Farley’s funeral, rumors sparked that the two had had a falling out.

Spade revealed years later, though, his real reason for skipping his best friend’s funeral.

“I think about him all the time,” Spade wrote in a Reddit AMA in April 2014, perRolling Stone. “We had such a good time for so long and we were crammed together for so long that we did have our squabbles, but I think people misunderstood me not going to that funeral.”

He continued, “It was nothing about that. It was just too … emotional and I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

What is Chris Farley’s legacy?

Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler & David Spade in 1997.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Though Farley’s career and life were cut tragically short, he left a lasting impact on the world of comedy. He is widely remembered as one of the comedy greats and earned a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 2005, seven years after his untimely death.

“Everyone still has a real nice place in their hearts for him, they still remember him,” Spade said about his close friend at his Walk of Fame ceremony, perToday. “He goes down as one of the greats. And I still think about him every day.”

Farley’s friends in the comedy world have kept his spirit and memory alive in the decades since his passing. Adam Sandler wrote a tribute song for Farley, dubbed the “Chris Farley Song,” andperformed it on his 2018 Netflix specialAdam Sandler: 100% Fresh, againwhen he hostedSNLin 2019and at theend of every stand-up comedy show on his 2022 tour.

“We laughed all night long because of Farley/ But a few months later the party came to an end/ We flew out to Madison to bury our friend,” Sandler sang in the song, recalling the last time he and Farley were together in July 1997 at Tim Meadows’ wedding.

Sandler continued, “Yeah I miss hanging out/ Watching you try to get laid/ But most of all I miss watching you torture [David] Spade/ You’re a legend how you want it, but I still wish you were here with me/ And we were getting on a plane to shootGrown Ups 3.”

Spade and Dana Carvey also honored Farley witha two-part tribute special on theirFly on the Wallpodcast. The episodes, which were released around the 25th anniversary of Farley’s death in 2022, honored the great comedy talent that Farley was — and lamented what he could have achieved had he not died so young.

“No one was competing with Farley,” Chris Rock said about the late comedian on the tribute special. “It was just like he’sMichael Jordan, and give him the ball.”

Rock later continued, “It’s sad when our friend’s not here, but it is curious to [think] ‘Wow, what would that guy have done?’ … He’s literally that level of actor, and that level of like, you just felt for that guy. Whatever ride Chris Farley was going to take me on, I was definitely ready to go on it.”

“This is a glory story. Not a tale from the crypt. Ready to honor Christopher,” Hauser wrote onInstagramin April 2024 when he announced the project.

source: people.com