Former Disney Executive Dave Hollis Died of Accidental Overdose, Had Previous Heart Issues, Autopsy Says

The author and father of four had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, according to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office

The cause of death for Dave Hollis, author and former executive for Disney, has been confirmed.

Hollis, who died in February at the age of 47, had lethal amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol in his system when he died, according to an autopsy from the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office, which was obtained by PEOPLE.

The motivational author and father of four was unresponsive when authorities arrived at the Hays County home, and he was pronounced dead a short time later, the autopsy says. Hollis' death has been ruled an accident.

Hollis had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, according to the Medical Examiner, in addition to high blood pressure and depression.

The Medical Examiner said Hollis also had hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which leads to the "narrowing and hardening of vessels that supply blood to the heart."

Related:Dave Hollis, Former Disney Executive, Dead at 47: 'We Are Devastated,' Ex-Wife Rachel Hollis Says

Hollis was listed as having moderate to severe atherosclerosis in his heart (a buildup of plaque "in and on the artery walls," according to the Mayo Clinic), as well as an "underlying natural disease of the heart that would have predisposed it to developing an abnormal rhythm, particularly in the presence of a stimulant drug such as cocaine."

PEOPLE reached out to Hollis' ex-wife Rachel Hollis for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

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A family representative previously said David had died at his home outside Austin, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Prior to his death, he had been hospitalized with heart issues, THR and Variety reported.

"We are devastated," ex-wife Rachel Hollis, an author and influencer best known for writing Girl, Wash Your Face, said in a statement shared on her social media page. "I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them." She added, "Please wrap the kids up in prayers as we try to navigate through the unthinkable."

Dave and Rachel, who were married for 16 years before they announced their split in June 2020, share four children: sons Jackson, Sawyer and Ford, and daughter Noah.

In May 2022, Hollis wrote about being 4 months sober from alcohol on his blog. "I use an app that counts the number of days since I last had a drink. ...I plan to have it counting forever, but am only focused on today," the post reads. Hollis also wrote that, before getting sober, he'd endured a "long, exhausting, very dark three month window where my worst insecurities spoke loudest," driving him toward alcohol use to cope.

In his final social media post, shared less than a week before his death, Dave posted a photograph of his daughter smiling by the water. "From a freeze to shorts in less than 48 hours. Today was a good day. ❤️," he wrote.

Dave led theatrical distribution at Disney from 2011 to 2018, according to THR and Variety, helping to launch film franchises including Frozen, Black Panther, the Avengers series and more. In 2018, Dave left Disney to relocate to Texas with his family. There he ran Chic Media, which was owned by his then-wife Rachel. Two years later, the couple announced the end of their marriage.

"We started out as best friends 18 years ago and the truth is, that core friendship and the parts of us that work so well, have become a band-aid for the parts of us that don't," Rachel said at the time.

Dave hosted a podcast titled "Rise Together" in the years leading up to his death, in addition to being a New York Times best-selling author. His books include 2020's Get Out of Your Own Way, in which he discussed his drinking and problems in his marriage, according to THR; 2021's Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were Meant For; and the 2022 children's book Here's to Your Dreams.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

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