Now it can be revealed! ELIZABETH TAYLOR stubbornly refused to undergo heart surgery – and in the end it may have been the medical mistake that killed her!
That's the REAL story behind the tragic March 23rd passing of the 79-year-old Hollywood legend, who'd withered away to a mere 94 pounds before her wearied heart gave out.
"Elizabeth died of a massive heart attack," a longtime family friend told The ENQUIRER.
"In the end, her heart had become so enlarged it just burst! We still can't believe she's gone."
The shocking news of the beloved star's passing at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles stunned her fans – who had grown used to her many brushes with death and her seemingly inexhaustible will to survive.
And now family and friends are haunted by Liz's decision six months ago to refuse surgery that could have extended her life.
"The doctors wanted to go in to clean up her clogging arteries and surgically repair her leaking heart," the friend said.
"They'd done what they could noninvasively, but they recommended bypass surgery and valve replacement to correct the problem. There were risks involved, but Elizabeth had a good track record when it came to surgical recovery. It may have bought her another 10 years."
But the Oscar-winning star, who had congestive heart failure, stubbornly refused to go under the knife "and said she'd take her chances," the friend revealed.
Over the years, Liz had been hospitalized at least 100 times, had both hips replaced, undergone back surgery and nearly died three times. She had dozens of surgical procedures.
Twice she was actually pronounced dead by doctors, and in 1997 she suffered a seizure and a stroke following surgery to remove a brain tumor.
Between Christmas 2009 and March 2010, she'd been hospitalized three times for neck problems, and doctors advised her that the condition could be corrected surgically.
But Liz – fed up with doctors, hospitals and painful medical procedures – could no longer find the will to fight.
She refused the surgery, telling a pal: "I can't face another operation."
Instead, the eight-times wed star chose to live with the neck problems. She also suffered from diabetes and curvature of the spine.
But her cardiac condition "was much more serious and having that surgery would have extended her life," the source said.
"Everyone regrets her decision. She may have lived for many more years."
Without the surgery, Liz – who starred in more than 50 films deteriorated dramatically during her final six weeks in the hospital.
Her weight plummeted to a mere 94 pounds, and she was incredibly weak, often drifting in and out of consciousness, the source said.
"Her breathing was shallow and labored. She was on a respirator much of the time," the source added.
And in a nightmare scenario, she actually died and was brought back to life TWICE with a heart defibrillator, the source said.
"Her heart was trying to pump blood and just couldn't. It stopped twice," the source said. "Doctors brought in the crash cart and the paddles and got her heart going again both times."
But "Elizabeth was ready to leave this world. She was tired of suffering," the source said.
"She decided she had enough, and Elizabeth died as she lived – on her own terms."
