Warwick Davis' wife Samantha's cause of death was 'complications of surgery' (2025)

Samantha Davis, the late wife of Harry Potter star Warwick Davis, died following complications of essential surgery, an inquest has heard.

It has been confirmed that actress Samantha Davis, the late wife of Harry Potter actor Warwick Davis, died from a cardiac arrest after complications from essential surgery.

The inquest, led by Senior Coroner for Inner West London, Professor Fiona Wilcox, concluded with her stating: "I am satisfied that the medical cause of death should be arrhythmic cardiac arrest and complications following left thoracotomies.

"In my view, the stress of everything together has precipitated this arrhythmic cardiac arrest in a lady who was not known to have any previous arrhythmia problems.

"I have found nothing but excellent care being delivered to this lady and all of her complications were appropriately managed. It is frankly heartbreaking that the surgery itself was successful only for complications to arise and to cause her death."

Cardiothoracic surgeon David Lawrence from University College London Hospitals noted that Ms Davis had been recovering well: "progressing well". Samantha had had a surgical chest drain taken out on March 19 and the last one removed on March 23, reports the Mirror.

Giving testimony, Lawrence added regretfully: "Very sadly, on the night this happened the original plan had been that she would be discharged home the following day."

He provided reassurances by saying: "We had good evidence that this patient had a chest x-ray that was acceptable, very stable observations and this patient did not bleed during the day."

He further mentioned that he doesn't think the hospital "would have done anything differently" and shared that Ms Davis was a "delightful lady".

The renowned actor, who first crossed paths with Warwick when she was just 17 years old, passed away at the age of 53 in March 2024. Warwick took to making her passing known via a deeply heartfelt homage.

He stated: "Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family. I miss her hugs. She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life she had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes."

In this poignant public address, Warwick, who first met Samantha on the set of George Lucas's film Willow, continued to honour his late spouse by calling her his "most trusted confidant and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career". His children Harrison and Annabelle shared their own homage, expressing how her "love and happiness carried us through our whole lives".

"Mum is our best friend and we're honoured to have received a love like hers," they elaborated.

Come November, nine months following Samantha's death, reports surfaced claiming Warwick was appointed the only trustee of his late wife's last will. The Sun reported upon obtaining documents stating her estate was worth about £536,830 at the time of her death.

It is believed that her last will, penned in 1998, did not go through any alterations for the remainder of her life.

Samantha, who was born on January 30, 1971, as Samantha D. Burroughs, lived with achondroplasia, a condition that leads to disproportionate dwarfism.

She made her mark in the acting world with roles in productions such as Through the Dragon's Eye, ShortFellas, and Honky Sausages, and even appeared uncredited alongside her husband in the 1988 film Willow.

It was during the filming of Willow that Samantha and Warwick first met as teenagers. At the time, Warwick, aged 17, had already gained recognition for his portrayal of Ewok Wicket in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Samantha, then 16, was the daughter of Peter Burroughs, who also acted in Willow, which saw Warwick take on the starring role opposite Val Kilmer.

Their love story began on the set, where Samantha was an extra, and after four years of dating, they married in 1991. In a heartfelt tribute to Samantha in March, Warwick expressed his deep gratitude for her unwavering support throughout his career, attributing much of his success to her influence.

Warwick fondly remembered his wife, saying, "With her by my side, I was sure I could achieve anything, it was like having a super-power," as he shared the news of her passing. "Without Sammy, there would have been no Tenable quiz show, no Willow series. No Idiot Abroad Series 3. She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear."

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