A death certificate reveals that former Nickelodeon star Christy Knowings died of cardiac arrest following a severe asthma attack, she was just 46 years old.
Knowings, the New York City-born actress who spent three seasons on the children's sketch comedy hit "All That," was hospitalized on Aug. 7 after suffering an asthma attack. A relative told TMZ she was placed on life support. Four days later, on Aug. 11, she died.
The death certificate, obtained by People on Sept. 2, listed cardiac arrest as the cause of death. Acute hypoxic respiratory failure, a condition in which the lungs cannot deliver enough oxygen to the blood, and status asthmaticus, a prolonged and severe asthma episode, were listed as contributing conditions.
Knowings joined the "All That" cast in 1997 and appeared through the show's 2000 season. She played opposite Amanda Bynes in the recurring "Whateverrr!!!" sketch and portrayed newscaster Brenda Stone in the "Channel 6 1/2 News" segment. Between 2008 and 2011, she appeared in three episodes of "Sesame Street" alongside her twin brother, Chris Knowings.
Her hospitalization on Aug. 7 came without public warning. The unnamed relative who spoke to TMZ described an asthma attack severe enough to require life support. No details about the hospital or the city where she was treated have been publicly released. What triggered the attack also remains unknown.
Her death was confirmed publicly two days later, on Aug. 13, when her manager, Al Hill, issued a statement to Variety.
Hill called Knowings a performer who never stopped creating. As USA Today reported, he praised her range and her work ethic:
"Christy was a multi-talented lady. Whether it was singing, acting, dancing, she was always creating. Always professional and dedicated to her work."
Thompson, who went on from "All That" to become the longest-tenured cast member in "Saturday Night Live" history, posted an Instagram tribute the same day Hill's statement went public. He did not hold back about what he lost:
"She was a real one and one of the funniest people out here!!! Gonna miss you buddy!!!"
Fellow "All That" castmates Josh Server and Alisa Reyes also shared tributes after Knowings' death became public, though the specific content and platforms of their posts were not detailed.
Status asthmaticus, the condition listed as a contributing factor on Knowings' death certificate, describes an asthma attack so severe that it does not respond to standard treatment. When the airways stay constricted long enough, oxygen levels in the blood drop dangerously, leading to the kind of respiratory failure documented in Knowings' case. Cardiac arrest can follow when the body is starved of oxygen for too long.
Knowings was 46. Whether she had a known history of severe asthma before the Aug. 7 attack has not been publicly disclosed. Neither the jurisdiction that issued the death certificate nor the hospital where she spent her final days has been identified in available reporting.
A generation of kids grew up watching Christy Knowings make them laugh on Saturday mornings. She deserved more time, and the people who loved her deserved answers sooner than a death certificate three weeks later.
