Judge Permanently Blocks Release of Records of Probe into Bob Saget’s Death

Bob Saget in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Nov. 3, 2021. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)

A Florida judge ruled to permanently block the release of records related to an investigation into the death of comedian and actor Bob Saget.

The “Full House” actor was found dead on Jan. 9 in Orlando, Florida, in a room at the Ritz Carlton hotel. He was on a stand-up tour and had performed in the area the previous night.

At a court hearing in Orlando on Monday, Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu issued the permanent injunction that was requested by Saget’s family. Previously, Chiu temporarily blocked the further release of the records.

Widow Kelly Rizzo and Saget’s three daughters had filed a lawsuit in February against the local medical examiner’s office and the Orange County Sheriff John Mina, seeking to stop the release of any records related to the investigation into Saget’s death.

They said that doing so would cause the family to “suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress.”

“No legitimate public interest would be served by the release or dissemination of the records to the public,” they also said in the lawsuit.

According to the family’s lawsuit, while the records are not allowed to be released publicly under state law, some media outlets had filed requests to obtain them.

READ MORE

• Autopsy Reveals New Details in Bob Saget’s Cause of Death

During the course of the autopsy and death investigation, the medical examiner’s office and sheriff’s office created graphic videos and photos of Saget’s body, as well as audio recordings.

The medical examiner said Saget died from blunt head trauma. The autopsy report said Saget had an abrasion on his scalp, a fracture at the base of his skull, fractures around the eye sockets, bruises to the brain, and bleeding between the brain and tissue covering the brain.

A statement from the family in early February also said that Saget died from head trauma.

No illicit drugs or toxins were found in Saget’s body, per a toxicology analysis. His death was ruled as accidental.

“The entire Saget family is grateful that the judge granted their request for an injunction to preserve Bob’s dignity, as well as their privacy rights, especially after suffering this unexpected and tragic loss,” the family said on Monday in a statement to news outlets via their attorney, Brian Bieber.

“We are pleased this issue has been resolved, and the healing process can continue to move forward. All of the prayers and well wishes continuously extended to the family are beyond appreciated.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.