Kevyn Aucoin - Death

Death

For those like me who loved Kevyn the person, the heart now weeps as if made of watercolor. Earth has lost yet another light.

Tori Amos

In September 2001, Aucoin was diagnosed with a rare pituitary tumor. He had been suffering from acromegaly resulting from the tumor for much of his life, but it had gone undiagnosed.

Aucoin began taking increasing amounts of prescription and non-prescription painkillers to ease his physical and mental suffering. Antunes implored Aucoin to get help, and while Aucoin tried to recover, he could not stop the drug use entirely. Antunes went to Paris for a week to be alone, and in that time, Aucoin became ill and was hospitalized. Antunes' leaving Aucoin for what became the last week of his life created animosity between Aucoin's family and Antunes, resulting in Antunes being locked out of the home he shared with Aucoin.

Aucoin died on May 7, 2002 at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York of kidney and liver failure due to acetaminophen toxicity, caused by his addiction to prescription painkillers. Despite his instructions that his ashes be scattered in Hawaii where he was married, Kevyn's remains are buried with his mother in Louisiana. His mother died six months after Kevyn.

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