Nichelle Nichols, who famously portrayed Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek TV show, sadly passed away in July 2022, but now, a wrongful death lawsuit regarding her passing has been filed against a New Mexico medical facility for not properly diagnosing her condition, from which she ultimately died. Nichols was the first African-American female to appear in a leading role on television.
In 2015, Nichols suffered a stroke, and in 2018, she was diagnosed with Dementia. At 89 years old, the groundbreaking actress died on July 30, 2022, while living in Gila Regional Medical Center, which is located in Silver City, New Mexico. Nichols’ cause of death was reported to be congestive heart failure.
According to court documents, proper tests were not done on the Star Trek star after she initially started having heart problems. Nichols was placed in an observation unit, but her symptoms were reportedly easily identifiable to a health professional. Nichols died just seven hours after she was placed in an assisted living home.
The late Star Trek actress was reportedly not given a bed in the hospital and was not transferred to somewhere where a bed was available. There is a 9-page lawsuit detailing the medical negligence that reportedly led to the iconic actor’s death.
What This Means For The Nichelle Nichols Estate And The Accused Medical Facility
A motion hearing regarding the case has been scheduled for April 7, 2026. While the lawsuit was filed by Nichols’ estate, her only child, Kyle Johnson, is in charge of her estate. Nichols was under a conservatorship after being diagnosed with dementia, with Johnson as her conservator.
Nichelle Nichols portrayed Nyota Uhura on TV and on the big screen for about 25 years altogether.
Some people close to Johnson claimed he was abusing power as a conservator in some ways, like when he sold Nichols’ home. Because of this, there is a chance the accusations against the medical facility could be found to be unfounded and thrown out, but only time will tell how valid the lawsuit is.
Our Take On The Lawsuit
The fact that the court document claims that Star Trek’s Nichols was not diagnosed properly when she first experienced heart problems implies that the claims are legitimate. A professional medical facility should be able to help a patient in a timely manner who is experiencing symptoms that are fairly typical in the medical community.