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Bob Saget’s family files lawsuit to block release of records from his death investigation

By Meredith Deliso and Will Gretsky Feb 16, 2022 | 8:01 AM


ABC/Craig Sjodin

The family of Bob Saget has filed a lawsuit to block the release of records from the investigation of his sudden death, court documents show.

The 65-year-old comedian and actor, who famously played Danny Tanner in the sitcom Full House, was found dead in his Florida hotel room on January 9 from what was later determined to be head trauma. The chief medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties said that the manner of death was an accident.

On Tuesday, Saget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo, and three daughters filed a lawsuit against the medical examiner’s office and the Orange County sheriff seeking to prevent the release of any records — including photographs, video and audio recordings related to his death.

“Plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if Defendants release the Records…” the lawsuit stated, adding no “legitimate public interest would be served” by their release.  Citing “legitimate privacy interests,” the family is seeking to block the release of the records to the public, and that they only be released to his spouse and daughters.

ABC News has reached out to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County government for comment.

The night before he died, Saget did a show at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall in Jacksonville, Florida. He was found unresponsive in his room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando “in a supine [face upward] position on his bed,” according to a police report. 

A preliminary autopsy showed “no evidence of drug use or foul play,” medical examiner Dr. Joshua Stephany said. In an update last week, Stephany said it was his opinion that Saget died from blunt head trauma “most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall.”  No drugs or alcohol were involved in Saget’s death.

Saget had several blunt force injuries of the head, according to the medical examiner’s autopsy report obtained by ABC News, including a fracture at the base of his skull and fractures involving the frontal bone.

Saget’s family shared the findings in their own statement, saying the authorities’ investigation “concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep.”

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