Drug Rehab Information

Dorothy Dandridge
Date: September 8, 1965
Drug: Imipramine, AKA Tofranil (antidepressant)

The first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, the 42-year-old Dandridge was found dead by her manager from what was diagnosed as "acute drug intoxication." Her death was ruled to be due to an accidental overdose of Tofranil, an antidepressant that she took for what today might be diagnosed as bipolar disorder. Some people claim that she died from combining the Tofranil with pain medication she was taking for a broken ankle.