A wrongful-death lawsuit filed in Grant County, New Mexico, has brought to light serious allegations about the care provided to Star Trek icon Nichelle Nichols, best known for her role as Lieutenant Uhura. The suit contends that Gila Regional Medical Center failed to properly diagnose and treat Nichols for acute heart failure in the hours before her death on July 30, 2022.
According to the complaint, Nichols was brought to the hospital from an assisted-living facility with symptoms of heart failure confirmed by imaging and lab work. Rather than being admitted for inpatient care, the hospital placed her in an observation bed and did not perform a cardiac workup, the lawsuit claims. She was then discharged back to the assisted-living center despite needing monitored medical care. Hours later, emergency responders found her unresponsive; she later died.
The family’s attorney asserts that the hospital “failed to secure a hospital bed … and then failed to transfer her to a facility that had an available bed,” and that staff “knew or should have known” the assisted-living center lacked the resources to care for a patient in her condition.
Nichols’ son, who cared for her in her final years, emphasized that he deliberately did not disclose her celebrity status in hopes she would receive unbiased, quality care—a testament to his belief that the alleged failures were systemic rather than isolated.
A trial originally set for June was postponed due to wildfires in the region. The case is now scheduled for June 2026 in 6th Judicial District Court before Judge Jim Foy, with plaintiffs seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.