On October 31, 2020, rap icon MF DOOM (real name Daniel Dumile) died at 49 years old. The cause of his death was unknown at the time, but now his wife, Jasmine Dumile, has revealed what happened.
Billboard notes that DOOM passed away after his condition “suddenly deteriorated” in the hospital. Jasmine Dumile said he was experiencing kidney disease and high blood pressure at the time, which led to weight gain and anxiety. She noted that he was prescribed ACE inhibitors to treat his blood pressure, but he developed breathing problems after two doses, which landed him in the ER due to swelling of the tongue and throat. The swelling was reportedly a “rare” side-effect and caused angiodema, according to doctors.
An inquest found that on October 21, DOOM “had complained that he couldn’t breathe and attempted to get out of his hospital bed before collapsing and suffering respiratory arrest.” Dumile said she was unable to visit DOOM in the hospital until October 31 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Of that day, she noted, “That’s when the respirator was turned off that was helping him breathe.”
Dumile’s legal team has reportedly has concerns about the care DOOM received and has asked about why there was an alleged two-hour delay in giving the rapper medication for his swelling throat, and how often medical staff at St. James Hospital in Leeds checked in on DOOM.