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‘Hollywood Superman’ Suffocated To Death In Clothing Donation Bin While High On Meth, Coroner Says
Christopher Dennis, who spent decades dressing as Superman on Hollywood Boulevard, was found dead in a clothing donation bin last year.
Christopher Dennis, a street performer well-known for portraying Superman on Hollywood Boulevard, accidentally died after getting into a clothing donation bin while high, officials have said.
Dennis, who became known as “Hollywood Superman” due to the decades he spent entertaining tourists in Hollywood, was found dead in November in the San Fernando Valley, Page Six previously reported. A cause of death for the 52-year-old was, at the time, unknown, and TMZ reported that his body was found lying face-down in a clothing donation bin. Investigators speculated that Dennis, who was homeless, was likely looking for clothing to wear when he died.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has since stated that Dennis suffocated to death after climbing into the bin and suffering blunt force trauma to his head and neck area, according to TMZ. Dennis was high at the time, with the coroner’s office also citing methamphetamine toxicity as having played a role in his death. His death has been ruled an accident.
The website for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner similarly lists asphyxia and neck compression as the cause of Dennis’ death, and case records there also confirm that his death has been ruled an accident.
Dennis, an avid Superman fan who lived in an apartment filled with memorabilia before he was homeless, appeared numerous times on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and was featured in the 2007 documentary, “Confessions of a Superhero,” according to the Los Angeles Times. He was known for his eerie resemblance to actor Christopher Reeves, who famously portrayed the hero for years, beginning in 1978.
In 2015, Dennis also appeared in a short documentary about himself called “The Kid: Adventures of Hollywood Superman,” according to his IMDb profile.
The Super Museum in Metropolis, Illinois was among many to publicly mourn his death, writing on Facebook last year, writing, in part, “We want to take a moment to extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Christopher Dennis better known as ‘Hollywood Superman.’ … Chris has had many struggles and ups and downs over the years. We hope that he is at peace now. And we pray for comfort to those who loved and cared about him.”
Following his death, supporters raised funds to cover funeral expenses, with a single anonymous donor supplying the final amount needed to not only cover his burial, but to fulfill his final wish to be put to rest in his Superman costume, Deadline reports.
His funeral took place in Los Angeles at Old North Church Forest Lawn on December 7, according to another report from the outlet. Italian actor Franco Nero reportedly sent along a video message to be played during the service, during which he said, “Now you no longer need the cape and the superpowers of superman to fly up in the sky. Now you can fly much higher than him because instead of the cape you have the loving hand of God.”
