Former ‘RHOC’ cast member Lauri Peterson’s son Josh Waring’s cause of death revealed
The cause of death of Laurie Peterson’s son, Josh Waring, has been revealed.
The coroner for California’s Orange County Sheriff’s Department told TMZ on Thursday that Waring, who died in March at the age of 35, was the result of a combined effect of fentanyl, methamphetamine and olanzapine, an antipsychotic medication.
His death was reportedly reported as accidental.
Peterson, an original cast member of “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” revealed the news of Waring’s death in April, hinting that Waring may have died from drug abuse.
Pieterse wrote a lengthy caption on Instagram, in which she also posted various photos of her late son from over the years. “It is with a heavy heart that I write this post to let you know that my beloved Josh left this world on Easter Sunday,” she wrote.
“Nobody can ever prepare you for this feeling of profound loss,” she lamented. “Every single fiber of my body hurts.”
The former Bravolebrity explained that “Josh has fought for his life every day, for most of his adult life,” but admitted that “the challenge was too great.”
Although Waring’s “childhood was filled with profound intelligence, humor, pranks, athletics, snow boarding, body boarding mountaineering, reading, friends, and a love of music”, he still struggled with “adult difficulties”.
His distraught mother thanked “everyone who tried to help Josh,” and said she was “a witness to many angels on Earth.”
She told those special people, “Not everyone can understand people with substance use disorders, but I will forever be grateful for your understanding and the impact you have had on their lives.”
“I also thank those who have accompanied me on this journey and offered kind words of encouragement by sharing their own stories of living with a substance use disorder. Also, I thank the parents who have shared their stories with me over the years about their children who they tragically lost to this disease.”
Peterson — who adopted Waring’s teenage daughter, Kennedy, amid his troubles — said she “found the most joy, pride and purpose” “in watching her grow and thrive over the years.”
She ended her emotional tribute by saying, “My heart is with you and I pray that you find the peace you deserve. Heaven has found the best angel and you have finally found your freedom sweet boy.”
Waring’s growing addiction led to frequent run-ins with the law, which Peterson previously explained was the reason she decided to leave “RHOC” after Season 4, which aired from November 2008 to June 2009.
In June 2016, Waring – whose father is Peterson’s first husband Philip Waring – was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, for which he spent four years in prison.
“There’s no secret to the fact that I have a problem with drugs,” Josh told Page Six over the phone from behind bars in April 2018. “The police know who I am in Costa Mesa.”
Meanwhile, Peterson — who married current husband George Peterson in September 2007 — told Us at the time, “Josh is arrested frequently and … if he’s under the influence of drugs and if he’s using drugs at the time, I would never help him legally.”
“However,” she continued, “[adopting Kennady] It’s been life-changing; it’s changed our whole lives. My contribution to Josh has always been, ‘I will always get you into rehab and do whatever I can to help you get over this addiction, and I will raise your daughter.'”
