LOS ANGELES _ Though her official cause of death was cardiac arrest, Alexis Arquette had been suffering from bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the heart, for three weeks before her death.
According to her death certificate, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Arquette had been diagnosed with HIV 29 years before her death on Sept. 11 at age 47.
This suggests she contracted the disease at age 18.
An actress and transgender activist, Arquette died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, surrounded by family, who listened to David Bowie's "Starman" at the time of her passing.
Alexis, along with siblings Rosanna, Patricia, Richmond and David, belonged to a third-generation Hollywood acting family, following in the footsteps of their father, Lewis, and grandfather Cliff.
Arquette starred in several films, including "The Wedding Singer" and "Bride of Chucky," as well as a 2007 documentary centered on her transition entitled "Alexis Arquette: She's My Brother."
