Actress Elizabeth Pena died of a very sudden death last week, October 16,2014 at Cedar's Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California.

Spokesperson for the LA County Medical Examiner, Craig Harvey, presented the death certificate to the media and said that it was indeed signed by a private doctor and is considered a public document.

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In the death certificate, the cause of death is listed as Cirrhosis of the Live due to Alcohol, Cardiopulmonary Arrest, Cardiogenic Shock and Acute Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Elizabeth's death was not reported to the medical examiner's office mainly because the main cause of her passing was Cirrhosis of the liver and the cause was alcoholism, both of which are considered a chronic disease.

The actress is said to have been battling the illness for the past couple of months, but it became acute shortly before her passing. The release of her death certificate has shed more light on the main cause of her passing seeing as her family had previously only released her age but did not state the reason of her death.

Elizabeth has worked in both film and television, she starred in movies like La Bamba, Rush Hour, Jacob's Ladder, Free Willy 2 and Lone Star, on TV she appeared in L.A. Law and most recently she played the mother of Sofia Vergara's character, 'Gloria' in the hit TV series 'The Modern Family'.

The actress is survived by her two children, husband, mother and her sister.

It's unknown whether of not the actress has ever entered rehab or seeked treament for her alcoholism.

TagsElizabeth Pena, Actress, Modern Family