Małgorzata Ostrowska-Królikowska Reveals Cause of Husband, Actor Paweł Królikowski's Death

Five years after the death of popular actor Paweł Królikowski, his wife, Małgorzata Ostrowska-Królikowska, decided to publicly and definitively clarify the circumstances of this tragedy. In an interview given to the magazine 'Twój Styl' in February 2026, she debunked years of circulating, often contradictory information and rumors. The direct cause of the artist's death was a stroke. However, as the widow precisely explained, this stroke was a complication of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, not a brain aneurysm, as some media had previously and incorrectly reported. Paweł Królikowski, born in 1961, was one of the recognizable figures of Polish television and film. Fame came to him primarily from his role as Karol Zduński in the cult TVP series 'M jak miłość', in which he starred from 2000 to 2020. He was also known for his theatrical and film roles, including in productions such as 'Historia kina w Popielawach' and 'Przedwiośnie'. His sudden death on July 15, 2020, at the age of 59, shocked the artistic community and viewers. Małgorzata Ostrowska-Królikowska emphasized that her husband's death was not a sudden event in the sense of being completely unpredictable, but rather the finale of a long-term, severe illness. Paweł Królikowski had long struggled with serious circulatory system problems. He suffered from arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis. The critical point, which permanently and significantly weakened his body, was a massive heart attack he suffered in 2017. From that moment, his health was seriously endangered, and the artist's life and that of his family were dominated by the fight against the disease and its consequences. The rupture of the aortic aneurysm, which led to the stroke, should be seen as a dramatic complication of these chronic conditions. The actor's wife's decision to publicly explain the cause of death after five years stemmed from a desire to close this difficult chapter and put an end to speculation. In the celebrity and gossip circles, various, often unverified theories circulated for a long time. By debunking them, Małgorzata Ostrowska-Królikowska not only clarified the facts but also emphasized the importance of health awareness. Her statement is also a personal attempt to order the narrative surrounding the death of a loved one and to pay tribute to her husband, whose memory was disturbed by false information. The interview received a broad response in the media, especially on gossip and entertainment portals, which treat the topic of celebrity deaths as highly engaging. „To nie był tętniak mózgu, tylko aorty. I to jego pęknięcie spowodowało udar, który był bezpośrednią przyczyną śmierci.” (It wasn't a brain aneurysm, but an aortic one. And its rupture caused the stroke, which was the direct cause of death.) — Małgorzata Ostrowska-Królikowska The death of Paweł Królikowski and the subsequent explanations by his wife draw attention to the problem of aortic aneurysm as a silent but deadly dangerous condition. The widow's statement also illustrates the long-term consequences of a suffered heart attack. Paweł Królikowski's medical history is an example of a cascade of events within the circulatory system, where one condition (atherosclerosis, hypertension) leads to others (heart attack, aneurysm), and their finale can be a tragic complication like a stroke. Thanks to Małgorzata Ostrowska-Królikowska's sincere statement, the matter has been clarified, and the memory of the actor can be associated primarily with his artistic achievements, not with the ambiguities surrounding his death.