EXCLUSIVE: Michael Madsen's Heartbreaking Final Images, Video and Posts Revealed After Agonizing Cause of Death Emerges
Michael Madsen seemed jolly in his final social media posts.
July 9 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Michael Madsen's final social media posts show a man smiling, laughing, and enjoying life, RadarOnline.com can share.
The Reservoir Dogs star, who passed away last week at age 67, had seemingly managed to finally find sobriety after decades battling a booze addiction – but friends worried a possible relapse may have had deadly ramifications.
Madsen was still working before his death.
In the months before his untimely death, Madsen shared heart-tugging photos of his mom, childhood memories, and even a warm photo of his estranged wife.
One of the snaps showed a proud Madsen standing next to now-estranged wife DeAnna, holding up a homemade sign that said "Luke U Did It!"
He captioned the photo "Congratulations to our son Luke Ray Madsen," and while he may not have shared exactly what Luke did, Madsen did tag his location as "Malibu High School" in June, a popular month for high school graduations.
Family Moments
He and estranged wife DeAnna congratulated son Luke.
The smiles continued as he shared a snap with his mom for Mother's Day, writing in the caption: "Happy Mother’s Day Loretta Elaine Madsen" and adding a heart emoji.
Madsen also shared the holiday spirit at Christmas time, sending a personal video message to his fans while wearing a Santa cap, standing in front of his pool.
"Been a wild ride, but here we are, we made it another year. Merry, very happy Christmas to everyone out there. Yours truly, Michael Madsen."
Battling Demons
Madsen shared a sweet photo with his mom.
As RadarOnline.com reported, Madsen died of heart failure after suffering cardiac arrest. The legendary actor was found unresponsive at his home in Malibu, California, early Thursday morning.
Perry Wander, who has represented the star for 20 years, shared his friend had finally seemed to beat his alcohol demons, but recently became worried.
"I just spoke to Michael two days ago. I knew he was not well," he said. "Michael was suffering from the effects of alcoholism. He had multiple stints in and out of rehab. He struggled to maintain his sobriety.
"He was not happy about his life."
Getting Sober
The actor had over 300 credits.
It is too soon to tell if Madsen's alcoholism officially contributed to his sudden death, but studies by the National Institutes of Health have found that heavy drinking can significantly increase the risk of cardiac arrest.
Madsen had battled alcohol addiction for years, and frequently spent time in rehabilitation programs, including in 2013 when he was court-ordered to enroll in rehab for 30 days to treat his "severe alcohol problem."
Amid his alcohol struggles, he also battled with depression as well as a troubled marriage to his wife. His son, Hudson, tragically died by suicide in 2022, at age 26.
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According to the sources, the movie star was in a constant cycle of trying to get his drinking under control.
He was also facing a crippling legal battle with his estranged wife, which saw the pair fighting over child support and other finances, his lawyer claimed.
"Michael lived a life of regrets, those regrets being his two marriages," he added.
