5 Tragic Details About How Judy Garland Died: The True Story Of The Barbiturate Overdose

The definitive answer to how Judy Garland died remains one of Hollywood’s most tragic and misunderstood stories. On June 22, 1969, the legendary star of *The Wizard of Oz* was found dead in her rented London flat, just 12 days after her 47th birthday. The official ruling, confirmed by a coroner's inquest, was an accidental overdose of barbiturates, a grim conclusion to a life marked by unparalleled talent and profound personal struggle. The circumstances surrounding her death, though officially categorized as "accidental," paint a stark picture of the pressures and substance abuse that plagued her career from childhood. In the modern era, with a greater understanding of addiction and mental health, the details of her final moments serve as a powerful and heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of early Hollywood fame.

Judy Garland: A Complete Profile and Tragic Timeline

The life of Judy Garland was a whirlwind of dazzling success and devastating lows. Her biography is essential context for understanding the environment that ultimately contributed to her premature death.

• Birth Name: Frances Ethel Gumm
• Born: June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota
• Died: June 22, 1969 (Age 47), in London, England
• Occupation: Actress, Singer, Dancer, and Vaudevillian
• Career Highlights: Gained worldwide fame as Dorothy Gale in *The Wizard of Oz* (1939), starred in *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), and received an Academy Award nomination for *A Star Is Born* (1954).
• Marriages (5):
  • David Rose (1941–1944)
  • Vincente Minnelli (1945–1951)
  • Sidney Luft (1952–1965)
  • Mark Herron (1965–1969)
  • Mickey Deans (March 1969–June 1969)
• Children (3): Liza Minnelli (with Vincente Minnelli), Lorna Luft (with Sidney Luft), and Joey Luft (with Sidney Luft).

The Official and Medically Confirmed Cause of Death

The immediate question following the discovery of her body was the cause of death. The subsequent investigation and autopsy provided a clear, yet chilling, medical answer.

The Barbiturate Overdose

The official cause of death was ruled an "accidental overdose of barbiturates". Barbiturates were a class of central nervous system depressants commonly prescribed as sleeping pills or sedatives at the time. Specifically, the autopsy revealed the drug involved was quinabarbitone. The concentration of the drug in her system was high enough to depress her central nervous system to the point of respiratory failure.

"Incautious Self-Overdosage"

The Westminster Coroner, Gavin Thurston, concluded the death was not suicide but rather an "incautious self-overdosage". This crucial distinction meant that while Garland had taken the pills herself, there was no evidence of suicidal intent. Instead, the ruling suggested a tragic misjudgment of dosage, likely exacerbated by her long history of substance abuse and dependency.

The Autopsy's Other Findings

The medical report also noted that Garland's body showed evidence of cirrhosis of the liver. This finding was a testament to the years of alcohol and drug abuse that had taken a severe toll on her health. The combination of chronic ill-health and heavy medication use created an extremely fragile physiological state.

The Vicious Cycle: Addiction, Hollywood's Dark Side, and Her Final Days

To truly understand the "how" of Judy Garland's death, one must examine the decades of struggle that preceded it, a pattern of addiction that began in her youth.

A Child Star's Forced Dependency

Judy Garland’s dependency on drugs started when she was a child actress under contract at MGM. The studio system required child stars to maintain grueling schedules, often involving 72-hour work weeks. To manage this, she and other child actors were frequently given "pep pills" (amphetamine-based stimulants) to keep them awake and "sleeping pills" (barbiturates) to force them to rest. This routine established a lifelong, devastating cycle of stimulant and depressant abuse, making her death from a barbiturate overdose an ironic and tragic culmination of her early career exploitation.

The Discovery by Mickey Deans

Judy Garland was married to her fifth husband, nightclub manager Mickey Deans, for only three months at the time of her death. They were living in a rented mews house in Chelsea, London. On the morning of June 22, 1969, Deans returned home after a late-night outing and found the bathroom door locked. He managed to climb through a window and found Garland slumped on the toilet, having passed away. The time of death was estimated to have been several hours earlier.

The Final Years and Downward Spiral

In the year leading up to her death, Garland was struggling financially and professionally, though she was still performing. Her final concert appearances in Copenhagen and London were marked by both her enduring talent and her visibly frail health. Her marriage to Deans, who was 12 years her junior, was chaotic. Despite her immense talent, she was in a constant state of turmoil, battling depression and the long-term effects of her substance abuse. The discovery of cirrhosis of the liver in her autopsy confirmed the severe physical damage her lifestyle had inflicted.

The Enduring Legacy of a Hollywood Icon

Judy Garland’s death at 47 was a shock to the world, yet for those close to her, it was the heartbreaking end of a long, painful battle. Her funeral in New York City drew over 20,000 mourners, a testament to her global impact. Today, her legacy is viewed through a dual lens: the unparalleled voice and star power that gave the world timeless classics like "Over the Rainbow," and the tragic figure whose life was cut short by the very system that created her. Her story continues to be a cautionary tale about the dark side of fame and the devastating consequences of addiction, making the details of her "accidental" death a somber, yet essential, part of Hollywood history.