Real Housewives of Orange County Alum Lauri Peterson's Son Josh Waring's Cause of Death Revealed

New details have emerged surrounding the death of Real Housewives of Orange County alum Lauri Peterson's son. 

Josh Waring—who Lauri shares with ex Phillip Waring—died from the combined effects of the drugs fentanyl, methamphetamine and olanzapine (an antipsychotic medication), California's Orange County Sherriff-Coroner Department told TMZ Aug. 29. 

The autopsy also revealed that the 35-year-old's death was ruled accidental, per the outlet.

E! News reached out to the Orange County Sherriff-Coroner Department for comment but has not heard back. 

The update in Josh's death investigation comes five months after Lauri shared that her son died on Easter Sunday. At the time, the reality TV personality opened up about having a "shattered heart" upon learning the news. 

"No one can ever prepare you for this feeling of such deep loss," Lauri wrote in an April 6 Instagram post. "Every fiber in my body hurts."

The 63-year-old——who adopted Josh's daughter Kennady more than a decade ago along with her husband George Peterson—also acknowledged her son's legal turmoil and ongoing battle with drug addiction leading up to his passing, explaining, "Josh fought every single day for most of his adult life, for his life, but this past Sunday, the challenge was too great."

"Josh's childhood was filled with deep intellect, humor, pranks, athletics, snow boarding, body boarding mountain hikes, reading, friends and his love for music," Lauri continued. "Even during adult hardship, Josh continued to maintain his sense of humor, continued to be optimistic, continued to be kind to others, defended those that were unable to defend themselves and continued to love his family so so much!"

She added, "He received the most joy, pride and purpose through his daughter Kennady and watching her grow and thrive over the years."

Josh—who is also survived by his sisters Ashley and Sophie—served time in prison on multiple occasions, some instances of which were documented on early seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County, which debuted in 2006. Lauri last appeared on the show in 2013.

Through all of the difficult periods, Lauri expressed feeling grateful to have a community that looked out for her son and his family, noting that she was thankful for "all of the people that have tried to help Josh along the way."

"I also thank those who have supported me through this journey and offering kind words of encouragement by sharing their stories of living with substance abuse disorder," Lauri continued, "and the many parents that have shared their stories over the years with me about the children they have sadly lost due to this illness."

For free and confidential help for those facing mental and/or substance use disorders, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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