Warwick Davis: Star Wars actor sues hospital for ‘negligence’ over death of wife at 53

Hollywood actor Warwick Davis is suing a London hospital alleging medical negligence over the death of his wife.

Samantha Davis, 53, who was also an actor, died on March 24 last year.

Paying tribute to his wife at the time, Davis described her as his “most trusted confidante and an ardent supporter of everything I did in my career”.

He said he felt like he could achieve anything with his wife by his side.

She had fallen seriously ill with sepsis in 2019, following operations on her spine at University College London Hospital.

The condition left her needing intensive care treatment.

Harry Potter and Star Wars star Davis, 54, has instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell to represent his family, and specialist medical negligence solicitor Madeline Nugent is working with them to further investigate her death.

However, an inquest, which is expected to hear whether the treatment Mrs Davis received at UCLH contributed to her death, was adjourned yesterday as Mr Davis was unable to connect remotely.

Before any evidence was presented to the court, counsel for the Davis family, William Chapman, suggested the adjournment to ensure that Davis could follow and contribute fully.

His daughter Annabelle was also due to take part in the proceedings, which were being held remotely from Inner West London Coroner’s Court.

Mr Chapman said that the family would like the proceedings to be held remotely again.

The inquest was adjourned to be held “as quickly as possible”.

Mrs Davis met her husband of 33 years when she had an uncredited role in his 1988 film Willow, in which he played the title role.

She also had an uncredited role as a goblin in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011, in which Davis portrayed Filius Flitwick – Hogwarts’ charms professor – for the final time.

The couple married in 1991 and had three children, Lloyd, Harrison and Annabelle, but Lloyd, their oldest, died just nine days after he was born.

Davis,who played an Ewok in the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi, paid an emotional tribute to his wife, who he described as his “favourite human”, after her death.

“Her passing has left a huge hole in our lives as a family,” he said in a statement.

“She was a unique character, always seeing the sunny side of life. She had a wicked sense of humour and always laughed at my bad jokes.”

Mrs Davis was diagnosed with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that causes dwarfism, as a child.

Her husband is affected by a similar condition, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita.

It meant he stopped growing at 3ft 6in.