Rich Piana, a well-known bodybuilder, collapsed at his home in Clearwater, Florida, on August 7, 2017, while getting a haircut. He hit his head when he fell and was unresponsive. Paramedics were called, and although they restored his heartbeat, he suffered brain damage due to lack of oxygen. He was placed in a medically induced coma but died on August 25, 2017, at age 46

. An autopsy revealed that Piana had significant heart disease, including an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) and coronary artery hardening, which could have contributed to his death. However, the cause of death was officially ruled "unknown" because toxicology tests could not be performed; hospital specimens needed for these tests had been discarded before his death. There was speculation about drug use involvement, as 20 bottles of testosterone and other steroids were found in his home, and Piana openly admitted to long-term anabolic steroid use. Still, no definitive link between drug use and his death was established

. His estranged wife and girlfriend publicly shared updates during his hospitalization, and his death was widely mourned in the bodybuilding community. He was buried in Forest Lawn, Los Angeles, California