Eric Bauza’s Cause of Death Revealed

The actor, who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and more “Looney Tunes” characters, died at the age of 46. Oct. 26, 2026, 1:46 PM EDT / Source: TODAYA day after Eric Bauza’s family announced the voice actor’s shocking death at the age of 46, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner has confirmed his cause of death.Records on the medical examiner’s website list Bauza’s cause of death as hypertensive cardiovascular disease. The medical examiner also included sleep apnea and obesity as “other significant conditions” that played a role in his death. Bauza died on Sunday, Oct. 25, in his residence, according to the records. The manner of death was determined to be “natural.”The death of the voice actor, who voiced “Looney Tunes” characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and more, was announced by his family in a brief statement shared on his Instagram page Oct. 25. He was 46. “Eric Bauza, Emmy Award-winning voice actor and the modern voice of iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, along with dozens of other beloved cartoon characters, has passed away suddenly. More details to come,” the statement read.The Canadian-American won three Emmys for voicing beloved characters like Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian and Tweety.He also made history as the first person of color to voice Bugs Bunny in the “Looney Tunes” cartoons. During an interview with NBC News in 2021, Bauza spoke about the bond the characters created between his Filipino immigrant father and his grandfather. “I hope to make him proud with all this work,” he said, referencing his grandfather, whom he never met. “‘Looney Tunes’ transcends all languages and all cultures,” he added. “There are some cartoons that don’t even have English-speaking parts in it. There are some ‘Looney Tunes’ cartoons that are pantomimes. It doesn’t matter what part of the planet you’re from. You get the comedy.”What Was Eric Bauza’s Cause of Death?Hypertensive heart disease is a condition that causes damage to the heart after “years of unmanaged or under-managed high blood pressure,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. The disease can lead to a thick and weak heart muscle or heart failure. “Hypertensive heart disease is the No. 1 cause of illness and death due to high blood pressure,” according to the clinic. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes people to stop breathing while they are sleeping. The clinic notes that sleep apnea “can also put stress on your heart that may be life-threatening if untreated.”Obesity can lead to other serious medical conditions, as well, such as cardiovascular diseases, fatty liver disease, gallstones, kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes, the clinic says. Sleep apnea is one of the possible effects obesity has on the body.