Jim Henson’s sudden death on May 16, 1990, indeed shocked his family, friends, and fans worldwide. The visionary creator of the Muppets and other beloved characters passed away unexpectedly from a severe bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.
He had been ill with flu-like symptoms but didn’t seek medical attention until it was too late, leading to organ failure and his untimely death at the age of 53.
His passing left a significant void in the entertainment world, and his family, friends, and colleagues were devastated by the loss of such a talented and kind-hearted individual.
Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, died unexpectedly on May 16, 1990, at age 53 due to a severe bacterial infection.
At the time, he was negotiating a deal to sell the Muppets to Disney, which reportedly caused him significant stress.
His close friend and collaborator Frank Oz later suggested that this stress might have contributed to Henson’s illness and untimely death.
“The Disney deal is probably what killed Jim. It made him sick,” he said.
Now, a Disney+ film, Jim Henson Idea Man, by Oscar winner Ron Howard delves into the life and death of the legendary creator.
“Jim had a kind of this internal sense that there wasn’t going to be enough time, and whether that is because he lost an older brother who he loved very much early in his life and the fragility of life or innately knew that somehow he might not live to be an old man — who knows,” Howard told ahead of the movie’s release.
Jim Henson’s Death Cause Revealed: How Did He Die?
Jim Henson passed away from toxic shock syndrome caused by a bacterial infection on May 16, 1990.
His symptoms began a couple of weeks earlier, around the time of his last public appearance on May 4, 1990, on “The Arsenio Hall Show”.
During the taping, Henson already showed signs of illness, as noted by his publicist, Arthur Novell, in an interview after Henson’s death.
“He admitted he was tired, that he had a sore throat, but he insisted it would go away,” he said.
Despite his worsening illness, Jim Henson continued with his usual activities, including visiting antique stores and flying to New York City to work on the Disney deal and various Muppets projects.
A week later, on May 12, Henson and his daughter Cheryl flew to North Carolina to visit his father and stepmother.
However, the next morning, Henson’s condition had deteriorated significantly, and he struggled to get out of bed.
“Sunday morning he didn’t want to get up,” Barbara Henson, Henson’s stepmother, told.
“We thought, ‘Oh he’s tired. Let’s let him sleep.’ When Cheryl brought him over for lunch, he didn’t feel like eating. He had the sniffles, and he looked tired. But this had been a busy few months for him lately, and we felt it was understandable.”
Despite feeling increasingly unwell, Jim Henson continued with his plans but decided to take an earlier flight home on May 13.
His daughter Cheryl noticed he looked unusually tired and grew concerned when he canceled a Muppets recording the next day, something he rarely did.
That evening, Cheryl, her brother Johnny, and Henson’s ex-wife Jane visited him. When Henson began coughing up blood around 2 a.m., Jane urged him to go to the hospital, but he refused.
“He said, ‘Just rub my back. Try to calm down my breathing.’ At one point, he said, ‘Maybe I’m dying,’ ” Jane told.
“He did say that. But, you know, whenever you’re sick, you say, ‘God, I feel like I’m going to die.’ “
Despite his general mistrust of doctors, Jim Henson finally agreed around 4 a.m. that he needed to be hospitalized due to difficulty breathing.
However, by the time he was admitted, his body was already shutting down, and X-rays revealed small pockets of infection.
The infection rapidly spread throughout his body, and by 8 a.m., he was anesthetized.
“He was still completely alert, but not comfortable,” Jane said.
“It was when he was anesthetized that we waved goodbye to him. He didn’t say anything. He waved a little. They said we could see him in the intensive-care ward in a few hours.”
Sadly, that was the last time Jim Henson’s family saw him conscious. He passed away at 1:21 a.m. the following night, on May 16, 1990, from toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes.
What Was Jim Henson’s Death Time?
Jim Henson passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 1990, at 1:21 a.m. after experiencing two cardiac arrests. He had been anesthetized earlier that morning, with his last conversation with his family taking place early on Tuesday.
Where Did Jim Henson Die?
Jim Henson died at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Washington Heights, New York City, on May 16, 1990.
Though he did not reside in NYC permanently, he was admitted to the hospital’s emergency room less than 24 hours before his death.
