“Had an Operation to Remove the Sweat Glands From His Armpits”: Bruce Lee’s Biographer Challenged the Martial Arts Legend’s Official Cause of Death in 2018

Published 11/26/2022, 6:00 PM EST

Follow Us

via Getty

The sudden death of Bruce Lee at the age of 32 was nothing but a shock for the world. His demise in 1973 gave birth to raging controversy. To date, several websites claim different reasons for his death. However, the author of Lee’s biography, Mathew Polly, once challenged all the possible causes claimed by the stakeholders in the biography in 2018.

For many renowned actors and martial artists, Bruce Lee was more than a human being. Many people worshipped his talent and knowledge as a martial artist. Through his Hong Kong-based films, Lee successfully attempted to bridge the gap between the east and west.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

What was Polly Mathew’s claim for Bruce Lee’s death?

Brain swelling was stated as a cause of Bruce Lee’s death. A recent study by Clinical Kidney Journal claims that Lee died due to hyponatremia, a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to eliminate excess water. Mathew Polly’s explanation of Lee’s death appears highly reasonable among several assumptions. The author pointed out Lee’s heat stroke ten weeks before his death. She stated that the doctors were so engrossed in Lee’s death on 20th July 1973 that they missed out on the actor’s medical history.

via Getty

In an article published on History.com, the author wrote:

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

“Several months before his death, Lee had an operation to remove the sweat glands from his armpits, because he thought dank pits looked bad on-screen. This reduced his body’s ability to dissipate heat.”

On 10th May, Lee walked into a dubbing studio for a commitment related to his film, Enter The Dragon. To avoid the noise from air-conditioners, the sound experts switched them off. This made the room a bakehouse with minimal ventilation. Within 30 minutes of the recording session, Lee fainted unexpectedly.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

He was immediately rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with cerebral edema. Lee was near death that day but got treated on time. According to medical science, a person who faints due to heat stroke runs at a high risk of experiencing the stroke again after some time.

Superstitions related to Bruce Lee’s death

Apart from some medical claims associated with Lee’s death, there are superstitions as well. One of them is Lee’s mistress murdering him in association with organized Chinese crimes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

via Imago

Another one is Lee’s son’s accidental death, which appeared as a curse to people. The popular superstition was that all the men in his family were cursed. However, later this superstition was proved a sham as he is still alive.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Muskan Sharma

739Articles

One take at a time

Muskan Sharma is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She has a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta. Muskan has worked as a writer for 3+ years but has a knack for filmmaking, too.
Show More>

Edited by:

Vineet Nandwana