1 00:00:02,167 --> 00:00:04,042 [actors scuffling and screaming] 2 00:00:04,042 --> 00:00:05,167 - [Larence] Tonight, 3 00:00:05,167 --> 00:00:08,375 the sudden death of an invincible icon. 4 00:00:08,375 --> 00:00:09,708 - [Matthew] He was on the verge of becoming 5 00:00:09,708 --> 00:00:11,125 the world's biggest superstar 6 00:00:11,125 --> 00:00:13,167 and the person who would change martial arts 7 00:00:13,167 --> 00:00:14,333 for the rest of time. 8 00:00:15,125 --> 00:00:16,250 - [John] He's the closest thing there is 9 00:00:16,250 --> 00:00:18,167 to a real life superhero 10 00:00:18,167 --> 00:00:20,042 and then suddenly he's gone. 11 00:00:20,042 --> 00:00:21,458 - Is it a freak accident, 12 00:00:21,458 --> 00:00:22,625 a medical episode, 13 00:00:22,625 --> 00:00:24,667 or something more sinister? 14 00:00:25,458 --> 00:00:28,042 - [Kavitha] The autopsy shows that his death was due to 15 00:00:28,042 --> 00:00:30,542 swelling of the brain from unknown causes, 16 00:00:30,542 --> 00:00:33,333 but nobody is satisfied with that answer. 17 00:00:33,333 --> 00:00:34,458 - [Rebecca] They've been told something different 18 00:00:34,458 --> 00:00:35,708 from his manager 19 00:00:35,708 --> 00:00:37,917 and of course, the first thing everyone comes to 20 00:00:37,917 --> 00:00:40,708 is a conclusion that this must be foul play. 21 00:00:40,708 --> 00:00:43,667 - [Laurence] Now, we explore the top theories 22 00:00:43,667 --> 00:00:47,375 surrounding the death of this martial arts legend. 23 00:00:47,375 --> 00:00:49,583 - [Daryl] Bruce was in a place where he shouldn't have been. 24 00:00:49,583 --> 00:00:53,458 He was at the apartment of his mistress. 25 00:00:53,458 --> 00:00:56,042 - [Zachary] Bruce Lee is someone who loves to push boundaries, 26 00:00:56,042 --> 00:00:58,625 but the Chinese mafia is ruthless 27 00:00:58,625 --> 00:01:02,167 and those two things come into conflict. 28 00:01:02,167 --> 00:01:04,875 - [John] As Bruce Lee's star power grows, 29 00:01:04,875 --> 00:01:07,250 so does the target on his back. 30 00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:11,583 - What or who really killed Bruce Lee? 31 00:01:11,583 --> 00:01:14,708 [tense dramatic music] 32 00:01:26,375 --> 00:01:31,000 - [Laurence] July 20th, 1973, 10:30 PM. 33 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,542 An ambulance speeds through Hong Kong 34 00:01:33,542 --> 00:01:36,500 on its way to Queen Elizabeth General Hospital, 35 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:39,583 but this is no ordinary emergency. 36 00:01:39,583 --> 00:01:43,750 Inside the vehicle is one of the biggest stars of the day. 37 00:01:43,750 --> 00:01:45,500 Bruce Lee. 38 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:47,833 - Bruce Lee has already become 39 00:01:47,833 --> 00:01:49,375 the biggest martial arts star. 40 00:01:49,375 --> 00:01:53,042 In fact, the biggest movie star in all of Hong Kong. 41 00:01:53,042 --> 00:01:58,208 He's really on the steps of becoming a worldwide phenomenon. 42 00:01:59,375 --> 00:02:00,833 - [Laurence] His movie "Enter the Dragon" 43 00:02:00,833 --> 00:02:02,417 is about to be released, 44 00:02:02,417 --> 00:02:06,375 the first to combine martial arts with spy elements 45 00:02:06,375 --> 00:02:09,458 and expectations are high. 46 00:02:09,458 --> 00:02:12,042 - [John] He had to be at the absolute top of his game 47 00:02:12,042 --> 00:02:13,875 for the filming of "Enter the Dragon." 48 00:02:13,875 --> 00:02:16,042 He insisted that the fight scenes 49 00:02:16,042 --> 00:02:18,292 be as authentic as possible, 50 00:02:18,292 --> 00:02:21,333 which meant that essentially the fighting was real 51 00:02:22,292 --> 00:02:24,750 and incredibly physically taxing. 52 00:02:25,667 --> 00:02:27,208 - [Katie] His next film "Game of Death" 53 00:02:27,208 --> 00:02:29,792 is an even more ambitious film. 54 00:02:29,792 --> 00:02:31,542 Bruce Lee is not only starring 55 00:02:31,542 --> 00:02:33,542 and choreographing the fights in this film, 56 00:02:33,542 --> 00:02:36,875 but he's also moving into the director's chair. 57 00:02:36,875 --> 00:02:40,125 - [Daryl] He's bringing new techniques to film. 58 00:02:41,208 --> 00:02:42,583 He's doing things that are creative. 59 00:02:42,583 --> 00:02:45,458 He's doing things that haven't been seen before. 60 00:02:45,458 --> 00:02:48,125 He's really charting new territory. 61 00:02:48,125 --> 00:02:49,208 [Bruce screams] 62 00:02:49,208 --> 00:02:50,500 - [Kavitha] No matter the movie, 63 00:02:50,500 --> 00:02:52,417 Bruce Lee is this larger than life character. 64 00:02:52,417 --> 00:02:55,250 He seems completely indestructible 65 00:02:55,250 --> 00:02:58,708 and here he is on this day lying in an ambulance 66 00:02:58,708 --> 00:02:59,667 without a pulse. 67 00:03:01,208 --> 00:03:03,833 - [Rebecca] Upon arrival, they initiate resuscitation 68 00:03:03,833 --> 00:03:05,833 procedures, they're injecting chemicals into his heart. 69 00:03:05,833 --> 00:03:09,875 They're using defibrillator pads to try to bring him back, 70 00:03:09,875 --> 00:03:11,333 but nothing's working. 71 00:03:12,583 --> 00:03:15,542 - [Daryl] Bruce's wife Linda, she arrives at the hospital 72 00:03:15,542 --> 00:03:18,667 to see them doing resuscitation on Bruce. 73 00:03:18,667 --> 00:03:21,583 They're trying desperately to restart his heart. 74 00:03:21,583 --> 00:03:25,208 No matter what they do, he remains flatlined. 75 00:03:25,208 --> 00:03:27,042 [monitor beeping] 76 00:03:27,042 --> 00:03:30,583 - [Laurence] It's just after 11:30 PM when the news leaks. 77 00:03:30,583 --> 00:03:33,292 Hong Kong's favorite son, Bruce Lee, 78 00:03:33,292 --> 00:03:36,417 is dead at the age of 32. 79 00:03:36,417 --> 00:03:38,542 - [John] There is no official announcement, 80 00:03:38,542 --> 00:03:40,917 although journalists have a sense that something is up, 81 00:03:40,917 --> 00:03:44,625 so they started to gather and they're demanding answers. 82 00:03:44,625 --> 00:03:48,042 So, his business partner, Raymond Chow, 83 00:03:48,042 --> 00:03:50,000 puts together a brief statement. 84 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,083 He says that Bruce Lee was out 85 00:03:52,083 --> 00:03:54,125 walking in his garden with his wife 86 00:03:54,125 --> 00:03:57,333 when he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. 87 00:03:58,750 --> 00:04:02,417 - [Laurence] But Lee's fans find this story hard to believe. 88 00:04:02,417 --> 00:04:05,583 - [Kavitha] Around 15,000 of his devastated fans 89 00:04:05,583 --> 00:04:07,792 take to the street and its utter pandemonium. 90 00:04:07,792 --> 00:04:10,458 Police are forced to restrain the crowd. 91 00:04:12,208 --> 00:04:14,417 - [Laurence] Everyone's asking how a man 92 00:04:14,417 --> 00:04:18,042 so fit and powerful could die so suddenly. 93 00:04:18,042 --> 00:04:20,458 - [Daryl] The hospital states that Bruce Lee died 94 00:04:20,458 --> 00:04:23,875 from cerebral edema, which is swelling of the brain 95 00:04:23,875 --> 00:04:26,333 in which the pressure becomes too great 96 00:04:26,333 --> 00:04:29,083 and then physical functions begin to shut down. 97 00:04:29,083 --> 00:04:31,417 - [Rebecca] When the brain fills up with too much fluid, 98 00:04:31,417 --> 00:04:34,292 what will happen is it will first start to expand 99 00:04:34,292 --> 00:04:36,000 and then it gets stuck against the skull, 100 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,625 which is very firm. 101 00:04:37,625 --> 00:04:40,708 If you have this situation where the brain 102 00:04:40,708 --> 00:04:43,958 is starting to crush downwards onto the brainstem, 103 00:04:43,958 --> 00:04:46,750 that's the part that controls all of your bodily functions 104 00:04:46,750 --> 00:04:49,333 like your heartbeat, your breathing, 105 00:04:49,333 --> 00:04:50,917 and if it is caught in time, 106 00:04:50,917 --> 00:04:53,208 there are things you can do to reverse it. 107 00:04:53,208 --> 00:04:56,708 But if it's not caught in time, it is lethal. 108 00:04:57,708 --> 00:04:59,917 - [Katie] The initial autopsy suggests 109 00:04:59,917 --> 00:05:03,375 that his brain swelled past the capacity of his body. 110 00:05:03,375 --> 00:05:05,833 It was actually 13% larger than 111 00:05:05,833 --> 00:05:07,917 what a normal brain is supposed to be, 112 00:05:07,917 --> 00:05:10,083 which is incredibly dangerous. 113 00:05:10,083 --> 00:05:13,083 - [Daryl] Swelling of the brain is known as the cause 114 00:05:13,083 --> 00:05:14,250 for Bruce Lee's death. 115 00:05:14,250 --> 00:05:16,375 But the real question is 116 00:05:16,375 --> 00:05:18,792 what caused that swelling of the brain? 117 00:05:20,083 --> 00:05:22,375 - [Laurence] With doctors unable to explain 118 00:05:22,375 --> 00:05:24,458 what triggered Lee's lethal condition? 119 00:05:24,458 --> 00:05:28,417 Speculation abounds until the next morning. 120 00:05:28,417 --> 00:05:29,792 - [Kavitha] Hong Kong's leading newspaper. 121 00:05:29,792 --> 00:05:32,708 The morning post runs a front page headline 122 00:05:32,708 --> 00:05:35,583 and the article states that Bruce Lee had been ill 123 00:05:35,583 --> 00:05:38,417 for two months prior to his death. 124 00:05:38,417 --> 00:05:41,417 - [John] In that article, Raymond Chow reveals 125 00:05:41,417 --> 00:05:44,292 that two months earlier, in May, 126 00:05:44,292 --> 00:05:46,750 Bruce Lee suffered a seizure 127 00:05:46,750 --> 00:05:49,708 caused by cerebral edema the same thing 128 00:05:49,708 --> 00:05:52,208 that would cause his death two months later. 129 00:05:52,208 --> 00:05:55,583 - [Kavitha] Chow goes on to say that prior to his seizure, 130 00:05:55,583 --> 00:05:58,542 Bruce Lee had suffered several hard blows to the head 131 00:05:58,542 --> 00:06:00,542 while filming "Enter the Dragon." 132 00:06:00,542 --> 00:06:03,375 These blows could have been far more severe and dangerous 133 00:06:03,375 --> 00:06:05,583 than anyone at the time might have known. 134 00:06:05,583 --> 00:06:09,000 [tense dramatic music] 135 00:06:13,125 --> 00:06:16,125 - [John] During the filming of "Enter the Dragon," 136 00:06:16,125 --> 00:06:18,542 Bruce Lee is going full throttle. 137 00:06:18,542 --> 00:06:22,250 He is pushing himself to whole new levels. 138 00:06:22,250 --> 00:06:24,542 His training has been ramped up. 139 00:06:24,542 --> 00:06:27,042 He is insisting that every fighting scene 140 00:06:27,042 --> 00:06:29,417 has to be absolutely authentic. 141 00:06:29,417 --> 00:06:34,042 He does report having headaches, but he just powers through. 142 00:06:34,042 --> 00:06:37,708 - [Daryl] July 20th was not the first time that Bruce had 143 00:06:37,708 --> 00:06:41,750 collapsed. In fact, in remarkably similar conditions, 144 00:06:41,750 --> 00:06:44,375 he had collapsed on May 10th. 145 00:06:45,542 --> 00:06:48,708 At that time he had been finished with the filming 146 00:06:48,708 --> 00:06:50,542 of "Enter the Dragon" 147 00:06:50,542 --> 00:06:53,000 and he began to feel dizzy 148 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,583 to complain about feeling nauseous. 149 00:06:55,583 --> 00:07:00,042 He goes to the bathroom where he collapses. 150 00:07:00,042 --> 00:07:02,208 - [John] Bruce Lee suffers a seizure, 151 00:07:02,208 --> 00:07:03,833 he's rushed to the hospital 152 00:07:03,833 --> 00:07:06,208 and on that occasion, doctors managed 153 00:07:06,208 --> 00:07:07,583 to reduce the swelling, 154 00:07:07,583 --> 00:07:09,042 but one doctor reports 155 00:07:09,042 --> 00:07:12,042 that if he had not been brought there immediately, 156 00:07:12,042 --> 00:07:13,833 he surely would have died. 157 00:07:16,750 --> 00:07:18,083 - [Laurence] Doctors can't specify 158 00:07:18,083 --> 00:07:20,208 what caused Lee's brain to swell, 159 00:07:20,208 --> 00:07:21,708 but many people believe 160 00:07:21,708 --> 00:07:24,917 his years of intense combat are to blame. 161 00:07:24,917 --> 00:07:27,667 - [Rebecca] One of the reasons Bruce Lee is so remarkable 162 00:07:27,667 --> 00:07:32,667 is because he really pushed himself to the limit. 163 00:07:33,458 --> 00:07:35,042 Psychologically, physiologically 164 00:07:35,042 --> 00:07:39,542 he was so good at demonstrating the outer limits 165 00:07:39,542 --> 00:07:42,375 of what the human body was capable of. 166 00:07:42,375 --> 00:07:44,625 - [Kavitha] It's also well-known that he's willing to fight 167 00:07:44,625 --> 00:07:47,667 against anyone that's willing to face off against him 168 00:07:47,667 --> 00:07:50,042 and that includes strikes to the head, 169 00:07:50,042 --> 00:07:52,125 which are a crucial part of kung fu. 170 00:07:54,208 --> 00:07:56,583 - [Rebecca] With repeated cerebral trauma, 171 00:07:56,583 --> 00:07:58,958 over time this can build 172 00:07:58,958 --> 00:08:00,292 and if it doesn't get time to repair itself 173 00:08:00,292 --> 00:08:03,250 because you're working as hard as he was every day 174 00:08:03,250 --> 00:08:05,667 to do over the top things, 175 00:08:05,667 --> 00:08:07,750 he might end up with permanent damage 176 00:08:07,750 --> 00:08:09,833 and it could very easily lead 177 00:08:09,833 --> 00:08:12,667 to swelling of the brain or cerebral edema. 178 00:08:14,208 --> 00:08:16,458 - [Kavitha] Most of the time Lee would train with protective 179 00:08:16,458 --> 00:08:17,875 headgear which would dampen the blows, 180 00:08:17,875 --> 00:08:21,167 but we know of at least one time in his earlier years 181 00:08:21,167 --> 00:08:23,750 when he was training without any protection at all. 182 00:08:25,792 --> 00:08:28,708 - [Laurence] It's a fight that would define his career 183 00:08:28,708 --> 00:08:31,917 but may have also shortened his life. 184 00:08:31,917 --> 00:08:35,542 - [Katie] In 1964, Bruce Lee's a 23-year-old in Oakland. 185 00:08:35,542 --> 00:08:38,375 He's co-running a kung fu studio there 186 00:08:38,375 --> 00:08:41,583 and developing his chops as a teacher, 187 00:08:41,583 --> 00:08:44,708 but also figuring out his style as a martial artist 188 00:08:44,708 --> 00:08:46,458 and word gets out about him. 189 00:08:46,458 --> 00:08:49,125 He has this bravado, a bit of arrogance. 190 00:08:49,125 --> 00:08:51,792 He has an ego so people start to learn about him 191 00:08:51,792 --> 00:08:53,958 and not everyone is a fan. 192 00:08:53,958 --> 00:08:57,500 - [Daryl] He had given a demonstration in San Francisco's 193 00:08:57,500 --> 00:08:59,875 Chinatown where he had lost his temper 194 00:08:59,875 --> 00:09:03,042 when he was challenged by other martial artists 195 00:09:03,042 --> 00:09:06,208 and he had declared that he was the best martial artist 196 00:09:06,208 --> 00:09:09,792 and challenged anyone to prove him wrong. 197 00:09:11,083 --> 00:09:13,500 - [Rebecca] One of the well-known martial artists at 198 00:09:13,500 --> 00:09:17,375 the time named Wong Jack-man decides to take him up on the 199 00:09:17,375 --> 00:09:23,000 challenge. So he goes to Lee's place in Oakland to have a fight 200 00:09:23,917 --> 00:09:27,250 just to see who really is the best martial artist. 201 00:09:27,250 --> 00:09:30,708 - [Kavitha] Adding fuel to the fire, in addition to Lee's 202 00:09:30,708 --> 00:09:32,708 arrogance, Wong is also incensed 203 00:09:32,708 --> 00:09:34,417 that Bruce Lee is revealing 204 00:09:34,417 --> 00:09:36,750 the secrets of kung fu to Westerners, 205 00:09:36,750 --> 00:09:39,417 which he considers to be deeply disrespectful 206 00:09:39,417 --> 00:09:40,625 of their heritage. 207 00:09:43,375 --> 00:09:46,375 - [John] The two men meet up at Bruce Lee's studio 208 00:09:46,375 --> 00:09:51,083 and it's an extremely intense fight from the very beginning. 209 00:09:51,083 --> 00:09:54,833 Neither one clearly gets the advantage, 210 00:09:54,833 --> 00:09:58,292 but at one point when it looks like Wong Jack-man 211 00:09:58,292 --> 00:10:01,667 is retreating under a series of blows from Lee, 212 00:10:01,667 --> 00:10:05,667 he suddenly fires off a series of windmill kicks 213 00:10:05,667 --> 00:10:07,083 to Bruce Lee's head. 214 00:10:08,167 --> 00:10:11,875 - [Rebecca] He ends up taking the full force of this kick 215 00:10:11,875 --> 00:10:13,375 even though it ended up being sort of unclear 216 00:10:13,375 --> 00:10:14,833 who really won that fight. 217 00:10:14,833 --> 00:10:16,792 There was no question that at least 218 00:10:16,792 --> 00:10:18,708 with that sort of vicious spin kick, 219 00:10:18,708 --> 00:10:22,292 Bruce Lee was injured with no protective gear. 220 00:10:23,958 --> 00:10:25,417 - [Laurence] This could have been the first 221 00:10:25,417 --> 00:10:27,208 of many brain injuries 222 00:10:27,208 --> 00:10:31,417 that would ultimately lead to Lee's death nine years later. 223 00:10:31,417 --> 00:10:33,875 But not everyone's convinced. 224 00:10:33,875 --> 00:10:35,208 - [Kavitha] Skeptics do say that 225 00:10:35,208 --> 00:10:37,583 while Lee wasn't wearing protective headgear 226 00:10:37,583 --> 00:10:40,375 during this sparring session with Wong, 227 00:10:40,375 --> 00:10:42,500 he constantly did wear protective head gear 228 00:10:42,500 --> 00:10:44,875 during his training sessions. 229 00:10:44,875 --> 00:10:46,833 - [Katie] The reason many believed that Bruce Lee 230 00:10:46,833 --> 00:10:48,833 didn't have a traumatic brain injury 231 00:10:48,833 --> 00:10:51,417 is because he wasn't experiencing forgetfulness. 232 00:10:51,417 --> 00:10:53,292 He didn't have lapses in his memory. 233 00:10:53,292 --> 00:10:55,875 He wasn't acting erratically. 234 00:10:55,875 --> 00:10:58,458 So clearly he was competent and capable 235 00:10:58,458 --> 00:11:01,583 and able to deal with these really intense situations. 236 00:11:01,583 --> 00:11:04,500 - [Kavitha] People are also having a hard time believing the 237 00:11:04,500 --> 00:11:06,750 story of Lee just suddenly collapsing 238 00:11:06,750 --> 00:11:10,167 during a nighttime stroll in his garden with his wife, 239 00:11:10,167 --> 00:11:12,042 especially since he was rushed to a hospital 240 00:11:12,042 --> 00:11:14,500 that's pretty far from his residence. 241 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:18,333 - [Daryl] The story that Bruce had collapsed while taking a 242 00:11:18,333 --> 00:11:22,167 walk falls apart and it opened up the floodgates 243 00:11:22,167 --> 00:11:24,292 to people wanting to know the truth. 244 00:11:29,292 --> 00:11:31,042 - July 22nd, 1973. 245 00:11:31,042 --> 00:11:35,208 It's been two days since Bruce Lee's shocking death 246 00:11:35,208 --> 00:11:37,292 and a local journalist has grown suspicious 247 00:11:37,292 --> 00:11:38,750 of the official story 248 00:11:38,750 --> 00:11:41,500 and begins calling his sources at the hospital 249 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:43,042 to dig up more information. 250 00:11:44,208 --> 00:11:46,458 - [Matthew] At that time, every Hong Kong hospital 251 00:11:46,458 --> 00:11:47,708 kept an ambulance record 252 00:11:47,708 --> 00:11:50,042 of where a patient was picked up from. 253 00:11:50,042 --> 00:11:52,542 And so, he tracked down the ambulance log 254 00:11:52,542 --> 00:11:55,208 and found out that the address that Bruce Lee's body 255 00:11:55,208 --> 00:11:58,875 had been picked up from wasn't the same as his home address. 256 00:11:58,875 --> 00:12:00,708 - [John] He is shocked to notice 257 00:12:00,708 --> 00:12:03,333 that the ambulance was actually dispatched 258 00:12:03,333 --> 00:12:06,083 to 67 Beacon Hill Road. 259 00:12:06,083 --> 00:12:11,000 67 Beacon Hill Road was where Betty Ting Pei lived. 260 00:12:12,250 --> 00:12:14,375 - Betty Ting Pei is a beautiful, young Taiwanese actress 261 00:12:14,375 --> 00:12:18,083 who's been making a name for herself in Chinese cinema. 262 00:12:18,083 --> 00:12:20,208 She first meets Bruce Lee in 1972 263 00:12:20,208 --> 00:12:22,833 while he's filming "Way of the Dragon." 264 00:12:22,833 --> 00:12:25,208 And while he is married at the time, 265 00:12:25,208 --> 00:12:27,792 the two become close and rumors start circulating 266 00:12:27,792 --> 00:12:30,458 about an affair between them. 267 00:12:30,458 --> 00:12:33,333 Those rumors become even louder when news circulates 268 00:12:33,333 --> 00:12:36,167 that Betty will be cast as a lead role 269 00:12:36,167 --> 00:12:39,000 in Bruce Lee's upcoming film "Game of Death." 270 00:12:39,958 --> 00:12:41,250 - [Katie] When people find out the truth 271 00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:43,792 about where Bruce Lee was when he died, 272 00:12:43,792 --> 00:12:44,833 they're pretty mad 273 00:12:45,875 --> 00:12:48,375 and they're also completely suspicious 274 00:12:48,375 --> 00:12:50,375 of the entire situation. 275 00:12:50,375 --> 00:12:53,833 If Raymond Chow has concocted this other story, 276 00:12:53,833 --> 00:12:55,542 what else is he leaving out? 277 00:12:55,542 --> 00:12:58,292 - [Daryl] Their willingness to lie about the circumstances 278 00:12:58,292 --> 00:13:02,000 under which Bruce died only opened up speculation 279 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,375 about what they might be lying about 280 00:13:04,375 --> 00:13:06,708 regarding the cause of his death. 281 00:13:06,708 --> 00:13:08,000 - [John] The press picks up the story 282 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,708 and Betty Ting Pei comes under all kinds of scrutiny. 283 00:13:11,708 --> 00:13:15,542 Now, at first she says, "I wasn't even home that night." 284 00:13:15,542 --> 00:13:17,042 That immediately gets shot down. 285 00:13:17,042 --> 00:13:19,208 Her neighbor's mention having seen her. 286 00:13:19,208 --> 00:13:21,708 Moreover, her neighbors mention 287 00:13:21,708 --> 00:13:24,125 that Bruce Lee has been a regular visitor 288 00:13:24,125 --> 00:13:27,000 to her place for months now. 289 00:13:28,875 --> 00:13:32,042 - [Laurence] Soon more information is revealed 290 00:13:32,042 --> 00:13:35,792 casting Bruce Lee's final hours in a more troubling light. 291 00:13:35,792 --> 00:13:39,042 - [Kavitha] After a few days the findings of the autopsy confirm 292 00:13:39,042 --> 00:13:41,875 that the cause of death was this cerebral edema, 293 00:13:41,875 --> 00:13:43,875 but there's a new piece of information. 294 00:13:43,875 --> 00:13:46,042 It says that the cause of that edema 295 00:13:46,042 --> 00:13:49,375 could have been some kind of drug intoxication. 296 00:13:49,375 --> 00:13:52,500 [tense dramatic music] 297 00:13:56,375 --> 00:13:59,042 - [Matthew] The coroner found two foreign substances 298 00:13:59,042 --> 00:14:00,208 in Bruce's stomach. 299 00:14:00,208 --> 00:14:01,458 One was hashish 300 00:14:01,458 --> 00:14:04,208 and the other was this pill called Equagesic, 301 00:14:04,208 --> 00:14:06,583 which was a kind of common pain reliever, 302 00:14:06,583 --> 00:14:09,792 mostly prescribed to women for menstrual cramps. 303 00:14:09,792 --> 00:14:12,125 It had aspirin and meprobamate, 304 00:14:12,125 --> 00:14:14,125 which was a kind of muscle relaxant. 305 00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:17,042 - [Laurence] Authorities need to figure out 306 00:14:17,042 --> 00:14:20,875 if these substances, alone or in combination, 307 00:14:20,875 --> 00:14:23,667 contributed to Bruce Lee's death. 308 00:14:23,667 --> 00:14:24,750 - [Kavitha] In an effort to determine the cause of 309 00:14:24,750 --> 00:14:26,625 Bruce Lee's death, 310 00:14:26,625 --> 00:14:30,583 the Hong Kong courts launch a formal investigation. 311 00:14:30,583 --> 00:14:33,667 - [John] The coroner's inquest takes place over several days 312 00:14:33,667 --> 00:14:37,167 where witnesses are called and evidence brought forward. 313 00:14:37,167 --> 00:14:40,167 - [Matthew] Betty Ting Pei testified, Linda Lee testified, 314 00:14:40,167 --> 00:14:42,292 Raymond Chow testified. 315 00:14:42,292 --> 00:14:44,292 All the experts and all the doctors involved 316 00:14:44,292 --> 00:14:46,542 with Bruce Lee's death were brought in 317 00:14:46,542 --> 00:14:49,750 to be interviewed by the various lawyers. 318 00:14:49,750 --> 00:14:51,208 - [John] It's a media circus. 319 00:14:51,208 --> 00:14:53,792 Bruce Lee's fans are out in force. 320 00:14:53,792 --> 00:14:55,833 They're pushing up against the barricades. 321 00:14:55,833 --> 00:14:57,500 More than anything else 322 00:14:57,500 --> 00:15:00,292 they wanna try to catch a glimpse of Betty Ting Pei. 323 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:03,583 - [Katie] In her testimony, Betty finally admits 324 00:15:03,583 --> 00:15:06,875 that she was there the evening that Bruce died. 325 00:15:06,875 --> 00:15:09,208 They had been there at the apartment 326 00:15:09,208 --> 00:15:10,708 with Raymond Chow earlier 327 00:15:10,708 --> 00:15:12,917 discussing plans for "Game of Death" 328 00:15:12,917 --> 00:15:14,917 and afterwards when Raymond left, 329 00:15:14,917 --> 00:15:16,917 Bruce was complaining of a headache, 330 00:15:16,917 --> 00:15:19,125 so she gave him Equagesic 331 00:15:19,125 --> 00:15:21,708 and then he went to lay down and take a nap. 332 00:15:21,708 --> 00:15:25,125 - [John] Betty admits that he then ate a couple of hash 333 00:15:25,125 --> 00:15:27,708 brownies and then she came to wake him up 334 00:15:27,708 --> 00:15:32,083 to go for their dinner plan, but he's non-responsive. 335 00:15:33,083 --> 00:15:34,417 - [Kavitha] Initially, during the inquest, 336 00:15:34,417 --> 00:15:36,708 investigators are focused on the hash 337 00:15:36,708 --> 00:15:38,292 found in Lee's stomach. 338 00:15:38,292 --> 00:15:41,250 At that time, hash is thought by the Hong Kong government 339 00:15:41,250 --> 00:15:43,875 to be a particularly dangerous drug 340 00:15:43,875 --> 00:15:45,750 and people speculate about whether or not 341 00:15:45,750 --> 00:15:48,208 Lee had an allergic reaction to it. 342 00:15:48,208 --> 00:15:51,708 The deadly hash theory, however, is quickly put to rest 343 00:15:51,708 --> 00:15:53,583 when medical experts testify 344 00:15:53,583 --> 00:15:56,625 that there has never been a substantiated case 345 00:15:56,625 --> 00:15:58,333 of death caused by cannabis. 346 00:15:59,583 --> 00:16:01,750 - [Laurence] The focus of the inquest then turns 347 00:16:01,750 --> 00:16:05,708 to that painkiller Lee took not long before his death. 348 00:16:05,708 --> 00:16:09,708 - [John] Dr. Robert Donald Teare, a British pathologist, 349 00:16:09,708 --> 00:16:11,250 looks into this case 350 00:16:11,250 --> 00:16:13,542 and says that he believes that death could be caused 351 00:16:13,542 --> 00:16:17,042 by a reaction to something in the Equagesic, 352 00:16:17,042 --> 00:16:19,875 either to the aspirin or to the meprobamate 353 00:16:19,875 --> 00:16:22,500 or to some combination of the two. 354 00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:25,042 - [Matthew] Aspirin can cause anaphylactic shock, 355 00:16:25,042 --> 00:16:27,042 which can result in cerebral edema 356 00:16:27,042 --> 00:16:28,875 in people who die from it. 357 00:16:28,875 --> 00:16:31,375 And so, Professor Teare decided 358 00:16:31,375 --> 00:16:33,542 that the most likely explanation 359 00:16:33,542 --> 00:16:36,375 was that Bruce Lee had a hyperallergic reaction 360 00:16:36,375 --> 00:16:38,875 and that's what caused Bruce Lee's cerebral edema, 361 00:16:38,875 --> 00:16:40,125 which caused his death. 362 00:16:41,750 --> 00:16:43,708 - [Laurence] Five days after Bruce Lee dies, 363 00:16:43,708 --> 00:16:48,750 on July 25th, 1973, an open casket funeral is held. 364 00:16:50,292 --> 00:16:54,750 A photo taken inside the funeral parlor raises new concerns. 365 00:16:56,167 --> 00:16:58,208 - [John] A news photographer captures an image 366 00:16:58,208 --> 00:17:00,208 of Bruce Lee in his casket 367 00:17:00,208 --> 00:17:04,542 and it shows that his face is horribly bloated. 368 00:17:04,542 --> 00:17:08,375 - [Katie] People are so mistrusting at this point of 369 00:17:08,375 --> 00:17:10,958 everything that has been said about Bruce's death 370 00:17:10,958 --> 00:17:12,208 that when they see this photograph 371 00:17:12,208 --> 00:17:15,625 and he looks different than he did in life, 372 00:17:15,625 --> 00:17:19,208 it calls into question a lot of other things. 373 00:17:19,208 --> 00:17:21,042 Why does he look this way? 374 00:17:21,042 --> 00:17:23,250 Could there possibly be foul play? 375 00:17:26,208 --> 00:17:29,208 - [Laurence] On September 24th, 1973, 376 00:17:29,208 --> 00:17:31,250 after seven tense days, 377 00:17:31,250 --> 00:17:33,958 the jury comes back with their verdict. 378 00:17:33,958 --> 00:17:36,042 Death by misadventure. 379 00:17:36,042 --> 00:17:39,000 - [Katie] Death by misadventure is a confusing way to say 380 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,083 that he essentially died by accident. 381 00:17:42,167 --> 00:17:44,542 - [Kavitha] Many of Lee's fans just don't accept 382 00:17:44,542 --> 00:17:46,875 the death by misadventure verdict. 383 00:17:46,875 --> 00:17:49,208 They refuse to accept that their hero 384 00:17:49,208 --> 00:17:51,042 could have died from a painkiller 385 00:17:51,042 --> 00:17:54,042 that contains aspirin and meprobamate. 386 00:17:54,042 --> 00:17:56,333 Attention turns back to Lee's mistress, 387 00:17:56,333 --> 00:17:58,458 the last person to see him alive 388 00:17:58,458 --> 00:18:00,042 and people start to believe 389 00:18:00,042 --> 00:18:02,500 that she might know more about his final hours 390 00:18:02,500 --> 00:18:04,333 than she initially revealed. 391 00:18:08,417 --> 00:18:09,333 - [Laurence] As rumors continue to swirl 392 00:18:09,333 --> 00:18:11,375 around Lee's cause of death, 393 00:18:11,375 --> 00:18:14,708 the spotlight turns on the woman Bruce Lee was with 394 00:18:14,708 --> 00:18:16,208 on the night he died, 395 00:18:16,208 --> 00:18:20,458 Lee's mistress, Betty Ting Pei. 396 00:18:20,458 --> 00:18:23,917 - [John] The press is fascinated by the relationship 397 00:18:23,917 --> 00:18:26,500 between Bruce Lee and Betty Ting Pei. 398 00:18:26,500 --> 00:18:30,167 When they meet on the set of "Way of the Dragon" in 1972, 399 00:18:30,167 --> 00:18:32,875 they quickly become romantically linked. 400 00:18:32,875 --> 00:18:35,125 - [Zachary] He certainly wasn't trying to be discreet 401 00:18:35,125 --> 00:18:37,208 about their relationship. 402 00:18:37,208 --> 00:18:39,542 People observed them out in public together 403 00:18:39,542 --> 00:18:42,417 and that led a lot of people to believe 404 00:18:42,417 --> 00:18:44,500 that he was having an extramarital affair. 405 00:18:46,375 --> 00:18:48,792 - [Katie] Bruce Lee's connection with Betty Ting Pei 406 00:18:48,792 --> 00:18:50,333 is definitely scandalous 407 00:18:50,333 --> 00:18:52,333 because he's married to Linda Lee 408 00:18:52,333 --> 00:18:54,542 and he has two small children. 409 00:18:54,542 --> 00:18:57,875 Of course that puts Linda in a very uncomfortable position. 410 00:18:59,875 --> 00:19:03,292 - [Kavitha] In December 1972, Bruce Lee supposedly tries 411 00:19:03,292 --> 00:19:05,542 to cut off ties with Betty. 412 00:19:05,542 --> 00:19:07,458 She's so distraught that she swallows 413 00:19:07,458 --> 00:19:09,375 a handful of sleeping pills 414 00:19:09,375 --> 00:19:12,167 and is rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. 415 00:19:12,167 --> 00:19:13,625 - [John] Betty recovers 416 00:19:13,625 --> 00:19:16,333 but from that point on, her relationship with Bruce 417 00:19:16,333 --> 00:19:18,375 becomes increasingly strained. 418 00:19:18,375 --> 00:19:21,375 She is upset that he won't leave his wife. 419 00:19:21,375 --> 00:19:24,375 She is reportedly consumed by jealousy 420 00:19:24,375 --> 00:19:27,083 and maybe she thinks if she can't have him, 421 00:19:27,083 --> 00:19:28,833 nobody else can either. 422 00:19:28,833 --> 00:19:32,292 [tense dramatic music] 423 00:19:36,875 --> 00:19:39,875 - [Katie] So there are some theories that start to circulate 424 00:19:39,875 --> 00:19:43,417 that perhaps someone has purposely killed him. 425 00:19:43,417 --> 00:19:47,917 And of course the obvious person becomes Betty Ting Pei. 426 00:19:47,917 --> 00:19:49,417 She's the other woman. 427 00:19:49,417 --> 00:19:51,958 She's taking him away from his family and his wife. 428 00:19:51,958 --> 00:19:54,000 So they start to run with this theory 429 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,250 that perhaps she was the jealous lover 430 00:19:56,250 --> 00:19:59,542 and that potentially she might have poisoned him. 431 00:20:00,958 --> 00:20:03,333 - [Laurence] And they say there's reason to believe 432 00:20:03,333 --> 00:20:05,417 she tried it before. 433 00:20:05,417 --> 00:20:08,667 - [John] There are rumors that Betty has been laying the 434 00:20:08,667 --> 00:20:10,792 groundwork for this for months. 435 00:20:10,792 --> 00:20:12,667 - [Kavitha] There's no actual proof of this. 436 00:20:12,667 --> 00:20:16,375 There's no sign of anything toxic in Bruce's bloodstream, 437 00:20:16,375 --> 00:20:17,708 but people still believe 438 00:20:17,708 --> 00:20:19,625 that she may have used some substance 439 00:20:19,625 --> 00:20:21,875 that wouldn't have shown up on a toxicology report 440 00:20:21,875 --> 00:20:24,958 because she comes from a family of doctors. 441 00:20:24,958 --> 00:20:27,875 - [Zachary] The other strange thing is the timeline of all 442 00:20:27,875 --> 00:20:31,875 this. When she realizes that he's unconscious, he's 443 00:20:31,875 --> 00:20:34,708 unresponsive. Why doesn't she call emergency services? 444 00:20:34,708 --> 00:20:38,208 Instead, she calls Raymond Chow. 445 00:20:39,333 --> 00:20:40,583 - [John] By calling the manager 446 00:20:40,583 --> 00:20:43,250 instead of immediately calling an ambulance, 447 00:20:43,250 --> 00:20:45,625 she's losing precious time. 448 00:20:45,625 --> 00:20:47,792 He needs immediate medical attention. 449 00:20:49,375 --> 00:20:51,708 - [Kavitha] Even though she repeatedly denies any 450 00:20:51,708 --> 00:20:54,500 wrongdoing, the news media continues to publish 451 00:20:54,500 --> 00:20:57,500 story after story implicating her. 452 00:20:57,500 --> 00:21:01,417 - [John] The public response to this is highly negative. 453 00:21:01,417 --> 00:21:04,542 Students in Malaysia are marching around with signs 454 00:21:04,542 --> 00:21:07,583 saying "Betty killed Bruce." 455 00:21:07,583 --> 00:21:12,000 In August 1973, Hong Kong police receive a bomb threat. 456 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,792 They go to investigate but they don't find a bomb, 457 00:21:14,792 --> 00:21:17,042 they find a suspicious package. 458 00:21:17,042 --> 00:21:18,708 Inside is a note saying, 459 00:21:18,708 --> 00:21:20,958 "Betty knows the cause of Bruce's death." 460 00:21:22,458 --> 00:21:24,792 - [Zachary] There's no evidence of foul play, 461 00:21:24,792 --> 00:21:28,083 but that doesn't prevent the greater public from continuing 462 00:21:28,083 --> 00:21:31,958 to find different stories that they want to believe in 463 00:21:31,958 --> 00:21:33,833 in terms of Bruce Lee's demise. 464 00:21:33,833 --> 00:21:36,625 And so, this hastens the speculation 465 00:21:36,625 --> 00:21:38,792 that someone is involved in some kind of conspiracy 466 00:21:38,792 --> 00:21:40,250 to kill Bruce Lee. 467 00:21:40,250 --> 00:21:43,833 The most obvious person would have been Betty Ting Pei. 468 00:21:46,708 --> 00:21:48,208 - [Laurence] There's also speculation 469 00:21:48,208 --> 00:21:51,042 that Betty might not have acted alone. 470 00:21:51,042 --> 00:21:52,917 - [Kavitha] Going back to those chaotic hours 471 00:21:52,917 --> 00:21:54,542 following Bruce Lee's death, 472 00:21:54,542 --> 00:21:57,375 one has to wonder why his business partner 473 00:21:57,375 --> 00:22:00,042 and confidant Raymond Chow put out a statement 474 00:22:00,042 --> 00:22:03,542 about where he died that was so easily disproven. 475 00:22:05,083 --> 00:22:07,667 - [Katie] Part of the story that Raymond leaves out 476 00:22:07,667 --> 00:22:09,542 when he creates that false narrative 477 00:22:09,542 --> 00:22:11,333 is the fact that he was also there 478 00:22:11,333 --> 00:22:13,667 when Bruce was at Betty's apartment. 479 00:22:14,750 --> 00:22:17,000 - [Kavitha] After Bruce Lee first stops breathing, 480 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,042 Betty summons Raymond Chow to her apartment. 481 00:22:20,042 --> 00:22:23,042 When he gets there, Raymond Chow inexplicably tells Betty 482 00:22:23,042 --> 00:22:24,875 not to call an ambulance. 483 00:22:24,875 --> 00:22:28,833 He tells her to call instead her personal physician. 484 00:22:28,833 --> 00:22:31,417 - [Katie] Raymond had seen Bruce suffer a similar episode 485 00:22:31,417 --> 00:22:33,042 just two months prior, 486 00:22:33,042 --> 00:22:35,667 so he knew he would have to get medical treatment right away 487 00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:37,792 in order to reverse the condition. 488 00:22:37,792 --> 00:22:41,000 So it's very strange that he would wait so long 489 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,583 to get urgent care for him. 490 00:22:43,583 --> 00:22:45,042 - [John] It's not until 10:30 at night 491 00:22:45,042 --> 00:22:47,250 that the ambulance arrives to take him away. 492 00:22:47,250 --> 00:22:49,625 By that time it's already too late. 493 00:22:51,458 --> 00:22:53,458 - [Laurence] For many the question remains, 494 00:22:53,458 --> 00:22:56,417 was the delay a willful decision? 495 00:22:56,417 --> 00:22:58,000 - [Kavitha] Around the time of his death, 496 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,500 Bruce Lee's relationship with business partner Raymond Chow 497 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:03,708 reportedly started to fracture 498 00:23:03,708 --> 00:23:05,500 when they formed their production company, 499 00:23:05,500 --> 00:23:08,167 Concord Productions in 1972, 500 00:23:08,167 --> 00:23:12,000 they initially had a 50/50 split between the two of them. 501 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,333 But by summer of 1973, 502 00:23:14,333 --> 00:23:17,208 Bruce Lee is working on an independent film 503 00:23:17,208 --> 00:23:18,583 and he is reportedly threatening 504 00:23:18,583 --> 00:23:20,958 to walk away from Chow altogether. 505 00:23:22,042 --> 00:23:24,792 - [Zachary] Given the level of money that Bruce Lee 506 00:23:24,792 --> 00:23:27,750 is generating at the box office, 507 00:23:27,750 --> 00:23:29,708 with Bruce Lee out of the picture, 508 00:23:29,708 --> 00:23:31,875 Raymond Chow has a lot to gain. 509 00:23:33,667 --> 00:23:36,292 - [Katie] If you add together Raymond Chow's financial 510 00:23:36,292 --> 00:23:37,625 interests and Bruce Lee's work 511 00:23:37,625 --> 00:23:39,500 and the fact that they might be disagreeing 512 00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:41,458 on the future of how they collaborate, 513 00:23:41,458 --> 00:23:43,208 this starts to look really fishy. 514 00:23:43,208 --> 00:23:45,625 Like was this intentional? 515 00:23:45,625 --> 00:23:46,792 - [Kavitha] Betty and Raymond Chow are both cleared, 516 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:48,583 - [Kavitha] Betty and Raymond Chow are both cleared, 517 00:23:48,583 --> 00:23:51,667 but people still believe in a murder conspiracy 518 00:23:51,667 --> 00:23:54,167 this time with just a different set of suspects. 519 00:23:58,375 --> 00:23:59,583 - A month after Bruce Lee's death, 520 00:23:59,583 --> 00:24:01,375 his final film "Enter the Dragon" 521 00:24:01,375 --> 00:24:04,250 premieres in Los Angeles to rave reviews. 522 00:24:04,250 --> 00:24:08,375 Lee plays a spy set on taking down the narcotics kingpin 523 00:24:08,375 --> 00:24:10,083 who killed his sister. 524 00:24:10,083 --> 00:24:11,542 The story may be fictional, 525 00:24:11,542 --> 00:24:12,875 but fans are left wondering if, like his character, 526 00:24:12,875 --> 00:24:15,125 but fans are left wondering if, like his character, 527 00:24:15,125 --> 00:24:18,458 Lee became entangled with powerful gang members 528 00:24:18,458 --> 00:24:20,375 and has paid with his life. 529 00:24:20,375 --> 00:24:24,000 Attention turns to a dark encounter from his early days. 530 00:24:25,208 --> 00:24:29,042 - [Daryl] Although Bruce was born in San Francisco, 531 00:24:29,042 --> 00:24:32,208 Hong Kong really is the place where Bruce grows up. 532 00:24:32,208 --> 00:24:34,083 He enters the movie industry 533 00:24:34,083 --> 00:24:37,583 because his father is a Cantonese opera performer. 534 00:24:38,667 --> 00:24:40,917 So by the time he's 18 years old, 535 00:24:40,917 --> 00:24:45,000 Bruce has appeared in films not as a star, 536 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,750 but certainly as a known actor. 537 00:24:48,875 --> 00:24:50,458 - [Katie] As Bruce is getting older in Hong Kong, 538 00:24:50,458 --> 00:24:52,583 he's actually getting into a lot of trouble 539 00:24:52,583 --> 00:24:55,875 and sometimes he's mixing with the wrong people. 540 00:24:55,875 --> 00:24:57,875 - [Matthew] Bruce Lee was a little street fighter 541 00:24:57,875 --> 00:25:00,375 and he ran across a kid named William Chung 542 00:25:00,375 --> 00:25:01,792 who was better than him. 543 00:25:01,792 --> 00:25:04,917 So, he asked William Cheung, how are you this good? 544 00:25:04,917 --> 00:25:08,958 And William Cheung said, "I study under the master Ip Man." 545 00:25:08,958 --> 00:25:12,667 - [John] Ip Man is a master of a particular style of kung fu 546 00:25:12,667 --> 00:25:14,750 called Wing Chun. 547 00:25:14,750 --> 00:25:18,208 Wing Chun emphasizes close quarters fighting 548 00:25:18,208 --> 00:25:22,708 involving a blitz of lightning fast kicks and fast punches, 549 00:25:22,708 --> 00:25:24,083 ideal for street fighting. 550 00:25:25,208 --> 00:25:27,333 - [Matthew] Ip Man was impressed by how intense 551 00:25:27,333 --> 00:25:29,792 Bruce's obsession with the martial arts was. 552 00:25:29,792 --> 00:25:32,375 And so, he would say to Bruce, "Don't believe me. 553 00:25:32,375 --> 00:25:33,750 Try it out yourself. 554 00:25:33,750 --> 00:25:35,167 If you don't think I'm telling you the truth, 555 00:25:35,167 --> 00:25:37,542 go out in the streets and test what I've taught you." 556 00:25:37,542 --> 00:25:42,708 - [John] So Lee organized a group of his friends into a gang 557 00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:46,583 that calls itself the Junction Street Eight Tigers. 558 00:25:47,708 --> 00:25:49,292 - [Laurence] On one of these outings, 559 00:25:49,292 --> 00:25:52,833 Bruce Lee picks a fight with the wrong guy. 560 00:25:52,833 --> 00:25:55,042 - [Kavitha] He roughs up this teenager pretty badly 561 00:25:55,042 --> 00:25:56,708 and it turns out that the guy's parents 562 00:25:56,708 --> 00:26:00,958 have connections to the Chinese mob, the Triad. 563 00:26:00,958 --> 00:26:04,833 - [John] The Triad came from all over Mainland China 564 00:26:04,833 --> 00:26:08,042 when the Communist Revolution of the late 1940s takes place 565 00:26:08,042 --> 00:26:11,042 and a lot of them end up in Hong Kong 566 00:26:11,042 --> 00:26:13,042 where they're taking over just about 567 00:26:13,042 --> 00:26:16,792 every avenue that organized crime might control. 568 00:26:16,792 --> 00:26:18,750 - [Katie] The Triad are very astute. 569 00:26:18,750 --> 00:26:20,708 They know how to adapt with the market 570 00:26:20,708 --> 00:26:22,667 and in Hong Kong, one of the major industries 571 00:26:22,667 --> 00:26:24,042 is the film industry. 572 00:26:24,042 --> 00:26:26,417 So they wanna have a piece of the action too. 573 00:26:26,417 --> 00:26:28,500 - [Kavitha] They're putting up the money for films 574 00:26:28,500 --> 00:26:30,083 and controlling production 575 00:26:30,083 --> 00:26:32,708 and they, of course, target actors 576 00:26:32,708 --> 00:26:34,375 that they think have crossed them, 577 00:26:34,375 --> 00:26:37,583 which is Lee's first of several reported run-ins 578 00:26:37,583 --> 00:26:39,167 with the Chinese mafia. 579 00:26:40,375 --> 00:26:42,708 - [John] Like most mobsters, the Triad makes its money 580 00:26:42,708 --> 00:26:44,708 from extortion and kickbacks, 581 00:26:44,708 --> 00:26:47,792 and as Bruce Lee's star power grows, 582 00:26:47,792 --> 00:26:50,250 so does the target on his back. 583 00:26:50,250 --> 00:26:53,708 [tense dramatic music] 584 00:26:58,333 --> 00:27:00,708 - [Daryl] Bruce's life was actually in danger 585 00:27:00,708 --> 00:27:05,000 because he had harmed the son of a Triad member. 586 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,208 - [Kavitha] His father becomes really worried about his safety 587 00:27:08,208 --> 00:27:10,375 that the mob would try and retaliate. 588 00:27:10,375 --> 00:27:13,542 So he sends Bruce to go live with relatives in Seattle, 589 00:27:13,542 --> 00:27:15,125 but many people believe 590 00:27:15,125 --> 00:27:17,750 that the threat from the Triad doesn't actually go away. 591 00:27:18,667 --> 00:27:20,458 When Bruce is living in Seattle, 592 00:27:20,458 --> 00:27:23,042 the Triad is operating in America, 593 00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:25,125 but they're kinda operating underground. 594 00:27:25,125 --> 00:27:26,875 So when he decides he's gonna open 595 00:27:26,875 --> 00:27:28,375 a martial arts school in Seattle, 596 00:27:28,375 --> 00:27:30,958 the Triads pay him a visit demanding money 597 00:27:30,958 --> 00:27:34,875 to allow him to open a school in their turf. 598 00:27:34,875 --> 00:27:37,375 - [Daryl] He was not off anybody's radar, 599 00:27:37,375 --> 00:27:41,417 but Bruce wasn't the type to do as he was told. 600 00:27:41,417 --> 00:27:44,042 - [John] In 1964, Lee has dropped out of college 601 00:27:44,042 --> 00:27:46,708 and has married his longtime sweetheart, Linda, 602 00:27:46,708 --> 00:27:50,083 and a year later their son Brandon is born. 603 00:27:50,083 --> 00:27:51,417 A couple years after that, 604 00:27:51,417 --> 00:27:53,917 his career really takes off when he gets cast 605 00:27:53,917 --> 00:27:55,333 in the role of Kato, 606 00:27:55,458 --> 00:27:59,083 the sidekick in the ABC series, "The Green Hornet." 607 00:28:00,417 --> 00:28:04,250 - [Laurence] In 1971, Bruce Lee returns to Hong Kong 608 00:28:04,250 --> 00:28:08,917 and once again reportedly crosses paths with the Triad. 609 00:28:08,917 --> 00:28:11,542 - [Kavitha] He's just released the film, "The Big Boss," 610 00:28:11,542 --> 00:28:14,542 which makes him a huge star back in Hong Kong. 611 00:28:14,542 --> 00:28:16,708 He gets a visit from a stranger 612 00:28:16,708 --> 00:28:20,375 who's offering him 200,000 Hong Kong dollars. 613 00:28:20,375 --> 00:28:23,875 And when he asks what it's for, he says, "Just a gift." 614 00:28:23,875 --> 00:28:25,917 Now this is right out of the Triad playbook 615 00:28:25,917 --> 00:28:28,208 of giving money to curry favor 616 00:28:28,208 --> 00:28:31,000 and hold some leverage over you. 617 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:35,167 - [John] Lee angrily rebuffs him, but he knows what this 618 00:28:35,167 --> 00:28:39,583 means. The Triad likes to control people by giving them 619 00:28:39,583 --> 00:28:42,500 cash and it's dangerous to turn down 620 00:28:42,500 --> 00:28:45,083 an offer of cash from the Triad. 621 00:28:45,083 --> 00:28:49,042 So from that point on, Lee starts wearing a knife, 622 00:28:49,042 --> 00:28:50,542 carrying a gun with him 623 00:28:50,542 --> 00:28:53,875 thinking that he can come under attack at any time. 624 00:28:55,167 --> 00:28:56,875 - [Laurence] Just days before his death, 625 00:28:56,875 --> 00:28:58,833 Lee gets into an altercation 626 00:28:58,833 --> 00:29:01,208 with a Triad-linked director. 627 00:29:01,208 --> 00:29:03,458 - [Matthew] Lo Wei had been the director of Bruce Lee's 628 00:29:03,458 --> 00:29:06,958 first two movies that had become such a huge success 629 00:29:06,958 --> 00:29:08,417 and they ended up fighting over who 630 00:29:08,417 --> 00:29:11,292 got to take credit for the success. 631 00:29:11,292 --> 00:29:13,542 One day Bruce Lee heard that Lo Wei 632 00:29:13,542 --> 00:29:14,958 was in the screening room 633 00:29:14,958 --> 00:29:17,708 and he went down to give Lo Wei a piece of his mind. 634 00:29:17,708 --> 00:29:20,875 - [John] He gets in his face, they start a shouting match, 635 00:29:20,875 --> 00:29:23,583 and soon afterward, Lee pulls a knife on him 636 00:29:23,583 --> 00:29:25,292 and aims it right at his chest 637 00:29:25,292 --> 00:29:27,417 and Lee has to be dragged out of the room 638 00:29:27,417 --> 00:29:29,208 to keep this from turning violent. 639 00:29:31,292 --> 00:29:33,375 - [Laurence] But the Chinese director is rumored 640 00:29:33,375 --> 00:29:37,208 to have connections that Lee may not be taking into account. 641 00:29:37,208 --> 00:29:39,375 - [John] When Lee threatens Lo like that, 642 00:29:39,375 --> 00:29:42,375 this is a direct affront to the Triad 643 00:29:42,375 --> 00:29:45,417 who are assumed to be connected to him. 644 00:29:45,417 --> 00:29:48,417 - [Katie] Maybe the Triads wanted Bruce Lee dead 645 00:29:48,417 --> 00:29:52,500 and his altercation with Lo Wei in the screening room 646 00:29:52,500 --> 00:29:54,708 was kind of the last straw. 647 00:29:54,708 --> 00:29:58,625 - [John] Hong Kong police understand the danger of the 648 00:29:58,625 --> 00:30:01,708 Triad, so they look into this aspect of Lee's death, 649 00:30:01,708 --> 00:30:03,583 but they have no active leads. 650 00:30:03,583 --> 00:30:06,542 There are no outward signs of a physical attack, 651 00:30:06,542 --> 00:30:10,333 so, the potential connection to the Triad goes cold. 652 00:30:15,208 --> 00:30:16,708 - [Laurence] In the weeks after Bruce Lee's death, 653 00:30:16,708 --> 00:30:19,083 rumors abound, but there's still no clear new lead 654 00:30:19,083 --> 00:30:22,750 that challenges the idea that he died accidentally. 655 00:30:22,750 --> 00:30:26,667 Then in 1974, one year after Lee's death, 656 00:30:26,667 --> 00:30:28,792 a new theory emerges 657 00:30:28,792 --> 00:30:32,667 with a plot straight out of a kung fu film. 658 00:30:32,667 --> 00:30:35,583 - [Kavitha] There's a journalist who's investigating Bruce Lee's 659 00:30:35,583 --> 00:30:38,208 death and he starts developing this theory 660 00:30:38,208 --> 00:30:40,208 that Bruce Lee could have been assassinated 661 00:30:40,208 --> 00:30:43,125 by a cabal of kung fu masters 662 00:30:43,125 --> 00:30:46,083 using a technique known as Dim Mak. 663 00:30:47,375 --> 00:30:49,875 - [Matthew] Dim Mak is this idea that you can hit somebody 664 00:30:49,875 --> 00:30:51,542 on their acupuncture lines 665 00:30:51,542 --> 00:30:54,042 or pushing a kind of chi power, 666 00:30:54,042 --> 00:30:58,333 and after you touch them, you can control when they die. 667 00:30:58,333 --> 00:31:00,333 So it's a delayed death touch. 668 00:31:01,542 --> 00:31:04,375 - [John] It's rumored that some martial arts masters 669 00:31:04,375 --> 00:31:09,042 have this ability to strike at just the right pressure point 670 00:31:09,042 --> 00:31:12,125 to bring about death if not immediately, 671 00:31:12,125 --> 00:31:14,667 days, weeks, or even months later. 672 00:31:14,667 --> 00:31:18,000 [tense dramatic music] 673 00:31:21,542 --> 00:31:24,375 - [Daryl] Bruce certainly was at odds 674 00:31:24,375 --> 00:31:28,542 with many of the martial arts practitioners of Hong Kong. 675 00:31:28,542 --> 00:31:31,125 Some people think it's because he had taught 676 00:31:31,125 --> 00:31:33,792 what was supposed to be a Chinese secret 677 00:31:33,792 --> 00:31:35,000 art to Westerners. 678 00:31:36,042 --> 00:31:38,667 - [Kavitha] Bruce Lee is this arrogant, burgeoning 679 00:31:38,667 --> 00:31:41,333 international film star and he really doesn't jive 680 00:31:41,333 --> 00:31:44,250 with this old school mentality. 681 00:31:44,250 --> 00:31:46,958 - [Katie] Bruce had created his own form of martial arts. 682 00:31:46,958 --> 00:31:48,875 He called it Jeet Kune Do 683 00:31:48,875 --> 00:31:50,542 or the way of the intercepting fist, 684 00:31:50,542 --> 00:31:52,208 and it incorporated elements 685 00:31:52,208 --> 00:31:54,750 from a lot of different martial arts styles, 686 00:31:54,750 --> 00:31:58,875 combining his street fighting with fencing and boxing. 687 00:31:58,875 --> 00:32:00,667 What he was after was trying to become 688 00:32:00,667 --> 00:32:02,375 a more efficient fighter 689 00:32:02,375 --> 00:32:07,333 and finding moves that were practical versus theoretical 690 00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:10,083 that didn't actually have any power in them. 691 00:32:10,917 --> 00:32:12,208 - [Kavitha] So the journalist theorizes 692 00:32:12,208 --> 00:32:14,917 that in order to stop him from continuing 693 00:32:14,917 --> 00:32:16,792 to change these ancient traditions, 694 00:32:16,792 --> 00:32:20,042 the group of kung fu masters sends out an assassin 695 00:32:20,042 --> 00:32:22,958 to kill Bruce Lee with the death touch. 696 00:32:24,375 --> 00:32:26,375 - [Matthew] Dim Mak, like everything in kung fu, 697 00:32:26,375 --> 00:32:28,458 is linked back to the Shaolin temple, 698 00:32:28,458 --> 00:32:32,292 the location of where kung fu originated, 699 00:32:32,292 --> 00:32:34,042 and there are various theories 700 00:32:34,042 --> 00:32:36,458 that link to the Shaolin monks, 701 00:32:36,458 --> 00:32:39,292 the idea that they could use special acupuncture 702 00:32:39,292 --> 00:32:43,458 or acupressure points to affect the human body. 703 00:32:43,458 --> 00:32:45,208 - [Kavitha] They say that Bruce might have died 704 00:32:45,208 --> 00:32:47,250 from a touch on his pressure point 705 00:32:47,250 --> 00:32:48,542 that blocked his energy 706 00:32:48,542 --> 00:32:51,083 and led to his death days or weeks later. 707 00:32:53,042 --> 00:32:54,583 - [Laurence] While this is speculative, 708 00:32:54,583 --> 00:32:58,750 certain types of punches and kicks are known to be lethal. 709 00:32:58,750 --> 00:33:03,208 - [John] A blow to the chest delivered just right 710 00:33:03,208 --> 00:33:06,000 at a certain point in the cardiac process 711 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,958 can cause an immediate cardiac arrest. 712 00:33:08,958 --> 00:33:11,042 But it's exceptionally rare 713 00:33:11,042 --> 00:33:14,625 for a blow to cause a delayed death. 714 00:33:14,625 --> 00:33:17,375 While this theory is intriguing to many, 715 00:33:17,375 --> 00:33:20,250 there's no real evidence that supports it 716 00:33:20,250 --> 00:33:23,417 and it's pretty much relegated to martial arts mythology. 717 00:33:25,250 --> 00:33:27,208 - [Laurence] The death of Bruce Lee remains 718 00:33:27,208 --> 00:33:31,583 shrouded in mystery for the next 45 years. 719 00:33:31,583 --> 00:33:35,958 Then in 2018, a new theory emerges. 720 00:33:35,958 --> 00:33:38,625 - [Katie] Matthew Polly writes a biography of Bruce Lee 721 00:33:38,625 --> 00:33:41,542 and he posits a new theory around his death 722 00:33:41,542 --> 00:33:44,542 because he looks very closely at the two instances 723 00:33:44,542 --> 00:33:46,708 of cerebral edema. 724 00:33:46,708 --> 00:33:49,708 - [Kavitha] Polly postulates that he could have died from an 725 00:33:49,708 --> 00:33:51,875 inability to regulate his own body temperature. 726 00:33:51,875 --> 00:33:54,000 He examines the May 10th collapse 727 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,375 when Lee was rushed to the hospital with a cerebral edema 728 00:33:57,375 --> 00:33:59,375 and was able to be revived. 729 00:34:00,833 --> 00:34:04,083 - [Matthew] On May 10th, he was re dubbing lines in a room 730 00:34:04,083 --> 00:34:05,375 that was super hot 731 00:34:05,375 --> 00:34:06,875 because they turned off the air conditioning 732 00:34:06,875 --> 00:34:10,458 to make sure that it didn't interfere with the sound. 733 00:34:10,458 --> 00:34:13,417 During that process, he started to feel dizzy and faint 734 00:34:13,417 --> 00:34:16,208 and he ended up collapsing and going into seizures. 735 00:34:16,208 --> 00:34:17,875 They rushed him to the hospital 736 00:34:17,875 --> 00:34:21,000 and the doctors diagnosed him with cerebral edema 737 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,750 and they gave him mannitol to cause the swelling to go down. 738 00:34:24,750 --> 00:34:28,708 - [Katie] The doctors do note that Bruce was covered in sweat 739 00:34:28,708 --> 00:34:29,958 and he had a high fever. 740 00:34:29,958 --> 00:34:32,750 And according to Polly, those are classic symptoms 741 00:34:32,750 --> 00:34:36,417 of heat stroke and perhaps this went undiagnosed. 742 00:34:36,417 --> 00:34:39,750 [tense dramatic music] 743 00:34:43,083 --> 00:34:44,708 - [Laurence] If it is heatstroke, 744 00:34:44,708 --> 00:34:47,042 why is it happening to Bruce Lee, 745 00:34:47,042 --> 00:34:50,042 one of the fittest men alive? 746 00:34:50,042 --> 00:34:52,000 - [Matthew] He had complained many times 747 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:53,917 about how sweaty his armpits were. 748 00:34:53,917 --> 00:34:55,542 This affected his work 749 00:34:55,542 --> 00:34:59,083 because on screen they kept having to switch his shirts out. 750 00:34:59,083 --> 00:35:01,542 Six months prior to his initial collapse, 751 00:35:01,542 --> 00:35:04,917 he had cosmetic surgery removing the sweat glands 752 00:35:04,917 --> 00:35:06,542 from underneath his armpits. 753 00:35:06,542 --> 00:35:08,417 At that time, people were offering that. 754 00:35:08,417 --> 00:35:10,167 It has since been discontinued 755 00:35:10,167 --> 00:35:12,583 because it's considered extremely dangerous 756 00:35:12,583 --> 00:35:15,583 because it affects your ability to process heat. 757 00:35:15,583 --> 00:35:17,958 And so, having those removed would've made him 758 00:35:17,958 --> 00:35:20,208 more susceptible to heat stroke. 759 00:35:20,208 --> 00:35:22,708 - [John] On July 20th, 1973, 760 00:35:22,708 --> 00:35:25,625 that's the hottest day of the month in Hong Kong. 761 00:35:25,625 --> 00:35:29,542 He is in Betty Ting Pei's apartment running over lines. 762 00:35:29,542 --> 00:35:32,167 What happens there is eerily similar 763 00:35:32,167 --> 00:35:33,875 to what happened back in May. 764 00:35:33,875 --> 00:35:37,542 He starts complaining about headaches and feeling faint. 765 00:35:37,542 --> 00:35:41,375 He falls into Betty's bed and he never wakes up. 766 00:35:41,375 --> 00:35:43,167 - [Matthew] He collapses in a situation 767 00:35:43,167 --> 00:35:45,042 in which he's in a sauna-like room, 768 00:35:45,042 --> 00:35:49,500 and then 10 weeks after that he dies on a very hot day. 769 00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:52,208 To me, that suggests that he potentially died 770 00:35:52,208 --> 00:35:53,875 from heat stroke. 771 00:35:53,875 --> 00:35:57,000 - [John] But sweat is produced all over the body 772 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,917 and the attending doctors back in May 773 00:35:59,917 --> 00:36:03,500 reported that he has sweat pouring out of him all over. 774 00:36:03,500 --> 00:36:06,875 So, you'd think that would regulate body temperature. 775 00:36:06,875 --> 00:36:09,708 - [Kavitha] Despite those minor flaws and the logic, 776 00:36:09,708 --> 00:36:12,625 it still does provide a plausible theory 777 00:36:12,625 --> 00:36:14,708 as to the cause of Bruce Lee's death. 778 00:36:19,875 --> 00:36:21,250 - [Laurence] 50 years after Bruce Lee's death, 779 00:36:21,250 --> 00:36:22,417 researchers are still looking for clues 780 00:36:22,417 --> 00:36:24,500 to explain what killed him. 781 00:36:24,500 --> 00:36:29,250 - [Daryl] In 2022, a group of Spanish kidney specialists 782 00:36:29,250 --> 00:36:32,000 come out with a novel theory 783 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:33,833 for what happened to Bruce Lee. 784 00:36:33,833 --> 00:36:37,208 Their theory was that he was suffering from retaining 785 00:36:37,208 --> 00:36:42,417 an excess of fluid which can lead to swelling of the brain. 786 00:36:43,833 --> 00:36:45,542 - [Kavitha] It's a little ironic because Bruce Lee's famous quote 787 00:36:45,542 --> 00:36:47,417 was, "Be water, my friend," 788 00:36:47,417 --> 00:36:49,042 kinda speaking to the fluidity 789 00:36:49,042 --> 00:36:50,917 of the body during martial arts. 790 00:36:50,917 --> 00:36:53,375 But it turns out that it might have been too much water 791 00:36:53,375 --> 00:36:55,167 that could have killed him. 792 00:36:55,167 --> 00:36:58,500 [tense dramatic music] 793 00:37:03,167 --> 00:37:04,542 - [Katie] The scientists also go back 794 00:37:04,542 --> 00:37:06,542 and look at the autopsy results 795 00:37:06,542 --> 00:37:08,625 and one of the things that strikes them 796 00:37:08,625 --> 00:37:11,875 is the fact that his brain had swollen to the point 797 00:37:11,875 --> 00:37:14,125 where it was 3.5 pounds, 798 00:37:14,125 --> 00:37:17,875 which is a half pound heavier than the average human brain. 799 00:37:17,875 --> 00:37:20,250 And what caused the swelling was water. 800 00:37:21,542 --> 00:37:24,208 - [Rebecca] The kidneys actually are filters for the body 801 00:37:24,208 --> 00:37:26,458 and also regulate water. 802 00:37:26,458 --> 00:37:29,625 If you get enough of a buildup of toxins, 803 00:37:29,625 --> 00:37:33,750 the kidneys can actually not function properly. 804 00:37:33,750 --> 00:37:36,208 - [Katie] On May 10th when he collapsed for the first time 805 00:37:36,208 --> 00:37:38,250 and was examined by the doctor, 806 00:37:38,250 --> 00:37:40,917 there were some unexplained high levels 807 00:37:40,917 --> 00:37:42,500 of waste in his kidneys, 808 00:37:42,500 --> 00:37:46,542 and so, that also signals that he had kidney disease. 809 00:37:46,542 --> 00:37:48,542 - [Kavitha] The levels were so high 810 00:37:48,542 --> 00:37:50,833 that the doctors actually thought it was a typo. 811 00:37:52,708 --> 00:37:54,958 - [Laurence] At the time, doctors were more worried 812 00:37:54,958 --> 00:37:58,125 about Lee's brain than his kidneys. 813 00:37:58,125 --> 00:38:00,167 The researchers from Spain believe 814 00:38:00,167 --> 00:38:02,667 that may have been a grave mistake. 815 00:38:02,667 --> 00:38:04,042 - [Kavitha] If the kidneys aren't working 816 00:38:04,042 --> 00:38:07,000 then they can't get rid of excess water in the body. 817 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,042 And if there's a buildup of water 818 00:38:09,042 --> 00:38:12,167 that creates a somewhat catastrophic situation. 819 00:38:13,292 --> 00:38:16,875 - [John] The water dilutes the sodium in the human body 820 00:38:16,875 --> 00:38:21,542 and it creates a situation called hyponatremia. 821 00:38:21,542 --> 00:38:25,917 And if it is not immediately addressed, it leads to death. 822 00:38:28,042 --> 00:38:31,667 - [Laurence] But why is Bruce consuming so much water on July 823 00:38:31,667 --> 00:38:33,500 20th, the day of his death? 824 00:38:33,500 --> 00:38:35,250 - [John] Earlier in the day, 825 00:38:35,250 --> 00:38:38,542 even before he goes to Betty's apartment, 826 00:38:38,542 --> 00:38:41,250 he has consumed some hashish brownies. 827 00:38:41,250 --> 00:38:43,958 In fact, he writes to a friend that day 828 00:38:43,958 --> 00:38:45,833 that he's stoned as hell. 829 00:38:47,042 --> 00:38:49,208 - [Kavitha] It would make sense if Lee's water intake 830 00:38:49,208 --> 00:38:50,708 were high that day. 831 00:38:50,708 --> 00:38:53,875 We already know that he was eating a hash brownie, 832 00:38:53,875 --> 00:38:55,583 so that would cause some thirst 833 00:38:55,583 --> 00:38:57,583 and he would be drinking more water. 834 00:38:57,583 --> 00:38:59,875 He was also running lines for his upcoming film, 835 00:38:59,875 --> 00:39:02,583 so the physical exertion and the exercise 836 00:39:02,583 --> 00:39:04,917 would've caused him to drink more water as well. 837 00:39:06,458 --> 00:39:07,708 - [Rebecca] He's a martial artist. 838 00:39:07,708 --> 00:39:10,292 He's getting body blows all the time. 839 00:39:10,292 --> 00:39:13,042 So it's also possible that he might have actually sustained 840 00:39:13,042 --> 00:39:15,875 some physical trauma to some areas of the kidneys 841 00:39:15,875 --> 00:39:18,708 such that maybe they're not working at top capacity. 842 00:39:18,708 --> 00:39:22,708 One of the things of note is that he had very low sodium, 843 00:39:22,708 --> 00:39:24,792 which is something that happens 844 00:39:24,792 --> 00:39:27,833 when you've had too much water. 845 00:39:27,833 --> 00:39:29,167 - [Daryl] During this period, 846 00:39:29,167 --> 00:39:33,750 he certainly had been on a very extreme diet 847 00:39:33,750 --> 00:39:38,167 of only eating or drinking apple and carrot juice. 848 00:39:38,167 --> 00:39:41,500 So, he may not have been taking in the nutrients 849 00:39:41,500 --> 00:39:45,208 that he needed to maintain healthy levels of sodium. 850 00:39:45,208 --> 00:39:49,458 - [Rebecca] When you're over hydrated, you allow a shift of 851 00:39:49,458 --> 00:39:51,375 fluids such that you can get a fluid buildup 852 00:39:51,375 --> 00:39:52,958 in a place that normally wouldn't have 853 00:39:52,958 --> 00:39:57,792 one like the brain. But water is also what makes up 60% or more 854 00:39:57,792 --> 00:39:59,708 of our bodies. It's the giver of life. 855 00:39:59,708 --> 00:40:02,000 Ironically, in his situation, 856 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,917 taking in too much water can result in something fatal. 857 00:40:07,792 --> 00:40:09,708 - [Laurence] No matter how Bruce Lee died, 858 00:40:09,708 --> 00:40:14,667 his mystique and the mystery of his final hours lives on. 859 00:40:14,958 --> 00:40:17,542 - [Kavitha] It makes a lot of sense that there would be 860 00:40:17,542 --> 00:40:19,375 so many theories surrounding the death of Bruce Lee, 861 00:40:19,375 --> 00:40:22,833 ranging from the mundane to the mythological. 862 00:40:23,750 --> 00:40:25,167 - [Matthew] Bruce Lee's death really ties 863 00:40:25,167 --> 00:40:27,250 into who he was as a megastar 864 00:40:27,250 --> 00:40:29,667 because he was able to kinda elevate 865 00:40:29,667 --> 00:40:32,375 the kung fu hero to international status. 866 00:40:32,375 --> 00:40:36,125 And in dying, he became the athlete who dies young. 867 00:40:36,125 --> 00:40:39,208 He died in his perfect form, in perfect shape, 868 00:40:39,208 --> 00:40:42,208 so that we could project our own hopes and dreams 869 00:40:42,208 --> 00:40:44,375 and mysteries onto him. 870 00:40:44,375 --> 00:40:48,708 - [Daryl] With a figure like Bruce who was larger than life, 871 00:40:48,708 --> 00:40:52,250 it makes so much sense that people would want 872 00:40:52,250 --> 00:40:56,250 a dramatic answer as to how 873 00:40:56,250 --> 00:40:57,625 his life could have ended. 874 00:40:59,917 --> 00:41:03,292 - Some believe that regardless of how Bruce Lee died, 875 00:41:03,292 --> 00:41:05,667 he was destined to live a short life 876 00:41:05,667 --> 00:41:09,917 in a tragic twist of fate that some define as a curse. 877 00:41:09,917 --> 00:41:13,375 Males in Bruce's family have died young. 878 00:41:13,375 --> 00:41:16,250 Bruce's older brother died as a toddler 879 00:41:16,250 --> 00:41:20,167 and Bruce's son Brandon Lee was shot by accident 880 00:41:20,167 --> 00:41:22,833 on a movie set in 1993. 881 00:41:22,833 --> 00:41:25,917 Tragedies that have helped the legend of Bruce Lee live on. 882 00:41:27,125 --> 00:41:28,875 I'm Laurence Fishburne. 883 00:41:28,875 --> 00:41:32,542 Thank you for watching "History's Greatest Mysteries." 884 00:41:32,542 --> 00:41:34,917 [dark music]