TV documentary star who had ‘7 wives’ died after collapsing in bathroom

TV documentary star Phillip Sharp's cause of death has been revealed.

The 60-year-old, who appeared on numerous TV documentaries due to his unconventional lifestyle as a Polyamorous rabbi, was found by a relative after he collapsed in a bathroom in Kenya, an inquest was told, according to The Daily Star.

Philip - who died last year - was born in north London's Stanmore and travelled around the world as a missionary worker.

At the time of his death in October 2019, he had been living in Nairobi, Kenya for more than two years, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

HertsLive reports that he is believed to have written a note the day before he died and that the letter included details on what he would leave behind for his family.

During proceedings, The Old Court House in Hatfield, Hertfordshire was told he went to the toilet at home and when he did not come out after "some time" a relative went to check on him.

The inquest heard that the family member could hear Philip moaning and when they kicked down the door they found he had collapsed.

He was taken to hospital in Kenya where he was pronounced dead on October 28 2019.

Senior Coroner Geoffrey Sullivan had limited information around the full circumstances of his death but had obtained a signed death certificate.

The cause of death was given as respiratory failure with suspected organophosphate poisoning, although the coroner said the evidence he had was limited.

Sullivan told: "What I don't have is any detail really leading directly to the events of that day, the events leading up to him going to the lavatory when he was found."

He also didn’t have "a precise cause of death", information about prior existing medical conditions and anything about where and when the note was found.

Usually, such details would typically be examined during a police investigation but the coroner had received no details from Kenyan officers.

The coroner considered the possibility of suicide due to the note, he explained there there "is some evidence to support that" but not "sufficient evidence" to uphold the legal standard.

For that reason, the coroner recorded an open conclusion.

The inquest heard the coroner's office had tried to get more information from the Kenyan authorities, but it was not forthcoming.

It is understood that Philip had "seven wives" and at least "19 children", and he once claimed God told him to reveal polygamy was part of a divine plan.

In 2013, he was legally married to one wife and lived with at six others for over a decade, fathering multiple children, not all of whom were Jewish, according to the Times of Israel.

His unconventional set up was examined in 2013 Channel 5 documentary, The Girl With Seven Mums.

The film featured his daughter Ellie, then 10-years-old, describing what it was like to grow up with multiple mother-figures.

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