Yesterday the legendary Donna Summer passed away after a long bout with lung cancer. The singer believed that breathing in the toxic air in NYC during 9/11 and the days following the terror attack lead to the cancer that eventually killed her. According to those close to Summer, she became paranoid that the air she was breathing was so toxic that she would spray disinfectant into the air. Read more below.
Donna Summer was convinced — inhaling toxic air after 9/11 gave her the lung cancer that eventually killed her … TMZ has learned.
Sources close to the singer tell TMZ what we were hearing this morning — that Donna was in New York City during 9/11, living at an apartment near Ground Zero.
Donna became almost paranoid about breathing the air, which was heavy with a rancid odor.
In the months and years following 9/11, Donna’s feelings intensified. One source tells us when he was around Donna, she would constantly spray some sort of disinfectant in the air. Deney Terrio, the host of “Dance Fever,” tells us … when he was around Donna post 9/11, she would hang silk sheets in her dressing room to prevent dust from coming in.
And one source says … Donna, who was a fervent practicing Christian, believed 9/11 was an attack on Christianity and in some metaphysical way Christians like her were targets. She somehow felt that her illness was a byproduct of the attack.
And, we’re told, after Donna was diagnosed with lung cancer, several people told her that cigarette smoke may have been the culprit — she was a smoker, and she also frequented clubs where people smoked. But Donna simply didn’t buy it.
