The Tragic Death Of SNL's Laurel Griggs
Laurel Griggs was a talented child star whose sudden death surprised many. At the tender age of 6, Griggs made her Broadway debut as Polly in 2013's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," according to Playbill. That same year, she played the character of Ivanka in "Once" that lasted for 17 months — a feat for someone so young. Aside from working on Broadway, Griggs also acted in "Saturday Night Live" sketches for a couple of episodes in 2017. She also appeared in commercials and did voice-over work.
With her achievements at such an early age, Griggs had a promising career ahead of her. However, that was cut short when she suddenly died in 2019 at just 13 years old. As CNN reported, Griggs had been battling asthma for a couple of years before her untimely death. When news of her death spread, her co-stars and friends in the industry were devastated.
Laurel Griggs' battle with asthma
According to Laurel's father, Andy Griggs, her asthma was diagnosed at an early age. Additionally, he said that they closely monitored her asthma and brought her to routine checkups. She was also taking medication for her medical condition, per Page Six.
On the night of her death, Griggs told her father that she wasn't feeling good. This prompted him to call emergency services as Laurel was having difficulty breathing. En route to Mount Sinai Hospital, according to Page Six, Laurel was given CPR to help with her breathing. She died in the hospital four hours later due to a "massive asthma attack," her grandfather explained.
Many lauded Laurel Griggs for her talents and professionalism, but she also made an impact outside the entertainment industry. Her grandfather David Rivlin shared to The New York Times that Laurel was also a supporter of the environment and might have become a lawyer when she grew up if her life wasn't cut short.
"Laurel was a scholar more than an actress, and society can only dream of what a difference she would have made if her life continued," Rivlin said, according to Playbill.