A little more than a week after Alexis Arquette passed away, the cause of her death has been confirmed. The transgender actress died after suffering a cardiac arrest – but it has also been revealed that Alexis had been battling HIV for 29 years.
According to the star's death certificate, the disease was the underlying cause of her death. She had also suffered a bacterial infection of the heart three weeks before she died of a heart attack on 11 September, at the age of 47.
Alexis Arquette had been battling HIV for 29 years before her death
Alexis was the much-loved sibling of David, Rosanna, Richmond and Patricia Arquette, who were all left heartbroken by her death.
Brother Richmond Arquette was the one who broke the news of her passing, writing on Facebook: "Our brother Robert, who became our brother Alexis, who became our sister Alexis, passed this morning September 11 at 12:32 a.m. He was surrounded by all of his brothers and sisters, and one of his nieces and several other loved ones...As per his wishes, we cheered at the moment that he transitioned to another dimension."
She was the much-loved sister of David, Rosanna, Richmond and Patricia
A short while later, David took to Twitter to pay tribute to Alexis. "Thank you all for your love and kind words about Alexis," he wrote alongside a photo of the pair together. "My hero for eternity."
Courtney Cox, who was married to David from 1999 until 2013, also expressed her sadness. "My heart goes out to anyone who was lucky enough to know Alexis," she said. "We will love and miss you forever."
David paid a touching tribute to Alexis on Twitter following her death
Sister Patricia Arquette wrote, "To my first best friend – Cosmic Dancer", alongside a clip of the T. Rex song.
Alexis was born Robert Arquette in LA in 1969, but in 2007 underwent sex reassignment surgery with the support of her family. She was a trailblazing transgender right activist, who bravely brought increased awareness to the transgender community.