'Superman' Actress Margot Kidder’s Death: Drug, Alcohol Overdose Caused Suicide

The death of Margot Kidder, the “Superman” actress, was ruled as a suicide by the Park County, Montana, coroner on Wednesday, reports said.

According to the coroner, 69-year-old Kidder died due to a “self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose.” Further details were not released. Kidder’s daughter, Maggie McGuane, said the news was a “big relief.”

“It’s important to be open and honest so there’s not a cloud of shame in dealing with this,” she said.

The actress, who was most known for her role as Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve's "Superman," was found dead at her home in Montana by a friend on May 13. Her manager, Camilla Fluxman Pines, said she died peacefully in her sleep.

Kidder was battling bipolar disorder for years, even having a highly publicized manic episode in April 1996. McGuane said she knew her mother’s death was a suicide the moment she was taken to Kidder’s home in Livingston, Montana.

“It’s a very unique sort of grief and pain,” McGuane said while urging people with mental illness to seek help. “Knowing how many families in this state go through this, I wish that I could reach out to each one of them.”

According to McGuane, Montana has one of the highest suicide rates in the country.

Between 1978 and 1987 Kidder and Reeve starred in four "Superman" movies. She then acted in "Great Waldo Pepper" with Robert Redford in 1975, Brian De Palma’s "Sisters" in 1973 and "The Amityville Horror" in 1979.

Reeve, her co-star in the "Superman" franchise, died in 2004. He was confined to his wheelchair due to a horse riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed.

Until 2017, Kidder appeared in many small films and television shows, which included RL Stine’s "The Haunting Hour." In 2015, she received a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding performer in a children’s series.

She last acted in a film that came out in 2017, "The Neighborhood" with Danny Aiello.

A 1990 car accident left the actress in debt. She used a wheelchair to move around for two years due to her injuries from the accident. At one point, she disappeared for four days after a breakdown. She was found in the backyard by a homeowner. She then underwent psychiatric care.

Kidder was also a political activist and a strong mental health care advocate.

Her body was found by her long-time friend, Joan Kesich, who said Kidder was a fearless person who always spoke the truth regardless of the consequences.

"In her last months, she was herself — same kind of love, same kind of energy," Kesich said. "The challenges that she had were very public. I want what I know about her to be out there because it was glorious. She was really a blazing energy."

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.