It’s no secret that Lamar Odom struggled with addiction during his NBA career and his past marriage to ex-wife Khloé Kardashian. The pair got candid about his struggles in the former Laker’s new docuseries, Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom, including his hospitalization and overdose.
After the doc dropped on March 31, 2026, many wondered if Lamar died following his overdose because Khloé revealed that his father nearly took him off life support.
Here’s what really happened to Lamar, according to his docuseries.
Did Lamar Odom Die After His Overdose?
No, Lamar didn’t die. He was hospitalized and in a coma following his 2015 overdose, but he was never pronounced dead. Confusion spread among fans, though, because Lamar’s father, Joe, who had also been an addict, wanted the hospital staff to remove the NBA player from life support machines, according to Khloé.
“We get to the hospital. His dad was there. I assume, [he] thought, he’s now the beneficiary to Lamar,” Khloé recalled in one portion of the docuseries. “And Joe just said, ‘Don’t put him on life support. Turn those machines off.’ And I remember walking in around that time, and I kid you not, it was a scene out of a movie. … I’m like, ‘Sorry, Joe, I’m still his wife. What do you need?’ And Joe wanted a pair of Nikes and $100, and a hotel room for the night. And Joe left, and never came back.”
At the time, Lamar had asked for a divorce from the Kardashians star. She was advised by an intervionist to give her then-husband an ultimatum: drugs or their marriage. The athlete picked addiction.
Nevertheless, Khloé was resolute in caring for Lamar. As she raced to his side in the hospital, the Good American jeans founder remembered thinking, “This is my husband. Through sickness and health, I have to be there for him,” Khloé said in the doc.
“I have to show up for him,” she went on. “And I was gonna do everything I could to make sure that he had the best fighting chance. I just trusted myself more than I trusted anyone in his circle.”
How Is Lamar Odom Doing Now?
After Khloé and Lamar finalized their divorce in 2016, he continued to struggle with his crack addiction. However, he is now about 60 days sober as of March 2026. In January of that year, he had been arrested in Las Vegas for DUI. He was released from police custody by January 20, 2026.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
