LOS ANGELES - The mother of Kanye West may have died of complications related to a surgical procedure, a coroner's official said Monday.
Preliminary information from officials at Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center, where Donda West died Saturday, indicated she died from "complications of surgery,'' Lt. Fred Corral told The Associated Press. An autopsy was to be conducted by Wednesday, Corral said.
Patricia Green, a consultant who has worked as a publicist for West in the past, had previously told news agencies that West died after cosmetic surgery. She backed away from those comments in later interviews with the AP, saying she was not sure of the cause because she had received conflicting information.
West, who died at age 58, was known for the strong bond she shared with her hip-hop star son. She was often seen by his side at parties and award shows, and he often spoke of his close relationship with his mother, who raised him alone after her husband left when Kanye was 3.
The former chairwoman of Chicago State University's English department, Donda West served as chief executive of West Brands LLC, the parent company of her son's business enterprises. She also was chairwoman of the Kanye West Foundation, an educational nonprofit that works to decrease dropout rates and improve literacy.
