The cause of death of Nickelodeon star Christy Knowings has been confirmed as cardiac arrest, according to a death certificate obtained by People.
The 46-year-old actress died on 11 August at a Los Angeles-area hospital after suffering a severe asthma attack on 7 August. The attack reportedly caused brain damage, and Knowings was placed on life support before her family decided to withdraw treatment.
The certificate lists asthma as an underlying condition, with acute hypoxic respiratory failure and status asthmaticus also recorded as conditions leading to her death.
Knowings was best known for appearing on Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy series All That, joining the cast as a teenager in 1997. She remained on the programme for three seasons until 2000 and appeared in more than 30 episodes.
Among the characters she played were Penny Lane and Jessica in the recurring Whateverrr!!! sketches alongside Amanda Bynes. She also portrayed Gloria Bankhead, an exaggerated homemaking-show host inspired by Martha Stewart.
In a 2019 interview with Bustle, Knowings described Gloria Bankhead as her favourite character, recalling how she stayed in character throughout the day on set.
“I had never played any character like her,” she said. “I just remember being on set and being her all-day long. Everybody loved it.”
Her manager, Al Hill, said Knowings had been “always creating” through her work in acting, singing and dancing, and praised her as professional and dedicated.
News of her death prompted tributes from former co-stars, including Kenan Thompson, who wrote on Instagram: “Man this one hit hard!!! Rest well Christy!!! Never could have imagined this day!!”
He added that Knowings was “one of the funniest people out here”, saying he would miss her and sending love to her family.
Knowings later appeared in three episodes of Sesame Street with her twin brother, Chris Knowings. She was also a musician and released the single To the World in 2020.
