Death of Margot Kidder, Lois Lane of ‘Superman’ fame, ruled suicide

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LOS ANGELES, Aug 10, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The death of Margot Kidder, the
actress who soared to fame in the ’70s playing Lois Lane in the “Superman”
movies, has been ruled a suicide, a Montana coroner’s office said.

When she died in May at age 69 neither her agent nor the funeral home who
handled her arrangements specified a cause, but Montana’s Park County
coroner’s office has announced she killed herself.

“Ms. Kidder’s family urges those suffering from mental illnesses, addiction
and/or suicidal thoughts to seek appropriate counseling and treatment,” the
statement said.

Her death came one month before designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony
Bourdain took their own lives, casting a spotlight on the jarring global
spike in suicides and the importance of confronting the issue.

Kidder starred in the Superman trilogy released between 1978-1983 as
hotshot reporter Lane, who was also the love interest of Clark Kent — played
by Christopher Reeve, who died in 2004.

She also made a cameo appearance in the 1987 film about the DC Comics
superhero titled “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.”

Born Margaret Ruth Kidder on October 17, 1948 in Canada’s Northwest
Territories, her career crested in the ’70s and ’80s, as she worked with film
stars including Robert Redford and Richard Pryor.

She continued to act in her later years but her popularity waned after she
suffered a highly publicized mental breakdown in 1996.

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the actress became an activist for mental
health issues as well as a champion of left-wing causes. She became a US
citizen in 2005.