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A Florida judge temporarily blocks release of Bob Saget's autopsy records

Updated February 17, 2022 at 12:21 PM ET

A judge has temporarily blocked the release of autopsy records for Bob Saget after the actor's family filed a lawsuit in Orange County, Fla., in an effort to stop the release of records related to the investigation into his death.

Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu issued the temporary injunction on Wednesday. If the injunction were not granted, Chiu said, Saget's family would experience "severe mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress," according to The Associated Press. The injunction temporarily seals photo, video and other records.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by Saget's widow, Kelly Rizzo, and his three daughters, names Orange County Sheriff John Mina and the medical examiner's office as defendants, according to Orlando TV station WESH2.

The suit argues that the further release of Saget's medical records would cause the family to "suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish and emotional distress," WESH2 reported.

Additionally, the family argues in the suit that no public interest would be served by the release of Saget's records to the general public.

Saget, 65, was found dead in his Orlando hotel room last month; he died as a result of head trauma, according to a statement from his family.

The family says the actor and comedian "accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep." No drugs or alcohol were involved, according to a coroner's report.

Saget had "fractures to the back of his head and around his eyes" at the time of his death, according to an autopsy report obtained by People. Saget was also COVID-19 positive at the time of his death, the autopsy noted.

Saget was on a comedy tour and had done a show near Jacksonville, Fla., a day earlier.

In a statement released last week by Saget's family, they added that they have been "overwhelmed with the incredible outpouring of love" from his fans, saying the support has been "a great comfort" to them.

"Now that we have the final conclusions from the authorities' investigation, we felt it only proper that the fans hear those conclusions directly from us," the family continued. "As we continue to mourn together, we ask everyone to remember the love and laughter that Bob brought to this world, and the lessons he taught us all: to be kind to everyone, to let the people you love know you love them, and to face difficult times with hugs and laughter."

Questions surrounding Saget's cause of death increased after the extent of his injuries were detailed in the autopsy report.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office posted an interview on CNN's New Day on its Twitter featuring Sheriff John Mina addressing Saget's injuries. Mina was a part of the investigation surrounding the actor and comedian's death.

Mina told CNN that while Saget's injuries were "severe," there were no signs of a struggle.

"We do not believe he was struck by anything," Mina said.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jonathan Franklin is a digital reporter on the News desk covering general assignment and breaking national news.