Jill Curtis, the widow of silver screen legend Tony Curtis, has opened up about her husband’s death.
The actor, who famously starred in iconic films such as “Some Like it Hot” and “Spartacus,” died Wednesday after suffering cardiac arrest at the age of 85.
Jill blames his old smoking habit for his health problems, telling “Inside Edition,” “He had COPD and very bad lung problems from smoking.”
“About 30 years ago he quit,” she went on. “But his lungs never worked the way they should of. So he was always fighting that.”
The actor was a man of many marriages. His 11-year marriage to actress Janet Leigh led to the birth of “Halloween” star Jamie Lee Curtis. He had five other children over the course of six marriages. In 1998, Jill became the actor’s sixth wife.
“His heart survived many things that would have killed an ordinary man,” Jill said of his difficult health condition. “This time his heart was ready to go.”
The family had decided to bring him home from the hospital before he passed away.
“He died peacefully surrounded by those who loved him…in his bedroom where he loved to be,” Jill added. “I’m very happy we made the decision to bring him home from the hospital. He passed in his sleep.”
“One thing Tony always said: ‘God is great. He won’t hurt us, ’cause he looks like Tony Curtis,'” she added. “I guess now he knows how he looks.”
