Karen Carpenter swore that she weighed only 78 lbs. because of “a gastrointestinal condition” — but the pop princess’ tragic anorexia was exposed after her death at the age of 32…
1 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
Karen Carpenter swore that she weighed only 78 lbs. because of "a gastrointestinal condition" — but the pop princess'
tragic anorexia was exposed after her death at the age of 32!
2 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
Karen topped the charts alongside her brother Richard, with The Carpenters selling over 100 million records with hits like "Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun." But the fame and fortune couldn't keep the pop princess from starving herself to death even as her marriage collapsed.
3 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
Her 30-month marriage to real-estate magnate Tom Burris had been bumpy from the start — and she seemingly lost the will to live as their marriage ended. She'd signed her divorce papers just two days before her body was found on Feb. 4, 1983, in the bedroom that Karen's parents kept for her at their home.
4 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
"Everything I eat just flows right out of me, and that's why I'm skinny," Karen once insisted —but her claims about suffering from colitis were later betrayed by her autopsy report. The coroner described Karen as "a thin white female."
5 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
The 5'4" singer weighed 108 lbs, which was an improvement over her recent all-time low. Still, the autopsy revealed there was "no solid material or identifiable food" in her stomach. There was only "an estimated 50 to 60 cc. of a dark green, dry material which has the consistency of dried leaves."
6 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
Karen, who had once admitted to using laxatives for weight loss, also had a distended stomach and bowel. An anxiety medication was found in the red jogging suit that she was wearing, and traces of a barbiturate were still in her blood.
7 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
The cause of death was finally listed as "Emetine cardiotoxicity" — making Karen (seen here with
Suzanne Somers) the first major celebrity to have officially died from heart failure due to anorexia.
8 of 8
Photo credit: Getty Images
Sadly, as seen by the recent weight gain, Karen had real hopes of avoiding her tragic fate. "I'm cured," she'd recently insisted to close friend
Dionne Warwick. "I've got a lot of living to do!"
Karen Carpenter swore that she weighed only 78 lbs. because of "a gastrointestinal condition" — but the pop princess'
tragic anorexia was exposed after her death at the age of 32!
Photo credit: Getty Images
Karen topped the charts alongside her brother Richard, with The Carpenters selling over 100 million records with hits like "Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun." But the fame and fortune couldn't keep the pop princess from starving herself to death even as her marriage collapsed.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Her 30-month marriage to real-estate magnate Tom Burris had been bumpy from the start — and she seemingly lost the will to live as their marriage ended. She'd signed her divorce papers just two days before her body was found on Feb. 4, 1983, in the bedroom that Karen's parents kept for her at their home.
Photo credit: Getty Images
"Everything I eat just flows right out of me, and that's why I'm skinny," Karen once insisted —but her claims about suffering from colitis were later betrayed by her autopsy report. The coroner described Karen as "a thin white female."
Photo credit: Getty Images
The 5'4" singer weighed 108 lbs, which was an improvement over her recent all-time low. Still, the autopsy revealed there was "no solid material or identifiable food" in her stomach. There was only "an estimated 50 to 60 cc. of a dark green, dry material which has the consistency of dried leaves."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Karen, who had once admitted to using laxatives for weight loss, also had a distended stomach and bowel. An anxiety medication was found in the red jogging suit that she was wearing, and traces of a barbiturate were still in her blood.
Photo credit: Getty Images
The cause of death was finally listed as "Emetine cardiotoxicity" — making Karen (seen here with
Suzanne Somers) the first major celebrity to have officially died from heart failure due to anorexia.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Sadly, as seen by the recent weight gain, Karen had real hopes of avoiding her tragic fate. "I'm cured," she'd recently insisted to close friend
Dionne Warwick. "I've got a lot of living to do!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
