Bob Mackie’s death certificate adds new detail about the designer’s final days. The Tony- and Emmy-winning costume designer, 87, suffered a fall at a friend’s home three days before he died on Sept. 14 in Palm Springs, California, according to a report first published by Us Weekly and cited by Deadline. Interest in the story has picked up again in search this week.
What does Bob Mackie’s death certificate say?
The certificate lists the immediate cause of death as a subarachnoid hemorrhage and blunt head trauma, per Deadline, Page Six and TMZ, all of which credit Us Weekly for obtaining the document. It says he fell on Sept. 11 at the home of his longtime design director, Joseph McFate, and died at Desert Regional Medical Center three days later.
Mackie also had pneumonia before and after the fall, according to Deadline. Page Six notes that a rep first said he died of pneumonia.
What did Mackie’s rep say?
A representative first told Page Six Style that Mackie died of pneumonia. After the certificate surfaced, the rep clarified that he had been battling pneumonia before and after he was hospitalized, per Page Six and TMZ. The rep also said he was staying in McFate’s guest house and that a health care professional was with him when he fell, according to Deadline and TMZ. He was cremated on Sept. 17, and his remains were scattered at sea off San Diego County, Deadline reports.
Who was Bob Mackie?
His team announced his death on Sept. 14, saying he “lived his 87 years to the fullest, fulfilling his dream of being a Fashion and Costume Designer.” Mackie was best known for Cher’s stage outfits and the costumes of “The Carol Burnett Show,” including the “Went With The Wind” curtain rod dress, per Deadline. He also dressed Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters and Debbie Reynolds, among others.
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Sources: Deadline, Page Six, TMZ, citing Us Weekly. By Kasim Pathan. Published Oct. 14, 2026. The featured image is an editorial illustration, not a photograph.
