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Freddie Starr's sister claims groping accusations led to the comedian's death
Freddie Starr's sister Brenda Hughes has claimed that the comedian 'never properly recovered' after he was faced with a police investigation into claims he groped a teenager in the '70s.
Starr was released without charge and he sued his accuser, but his life took a downward spiral after he lost the case.
The comedian was found dead in his home in Spain last week at the age of 76 after suffering a heart attack.
Speaking to The Sun, Hughes has now revealed that the scandal had a "big impact on him both mentally and physically".
"Freddie telephoned me after the case ended," she said. "I think it had a big impact on him both mentally and physically. He felt devastated and I don't think he ever properly recovered."
Starr was arrested four times over allegations he groped a 15-year-old in Jimmy Saville's dressing room in 1974.
The investigation against him was part of Operation Yewtree, which focused on historic sex abuse allegations in the wake of the accusations made against Saville.
Hughes, who last spoke to Starr three years ago, said that she was shocked to learn of her brother's death and was saddened to think he was all alone at the time.
"Freddie was the kind of person who wouldn't ring you for a year and then he'd ring you three of four times the next year," she said. "I didn't even know he was in Spain.
"I knew he was in bad health because he'd had a heart operation [in 2010], but I didn't know how serious it was.
"All I've been thinking about since getting the news is him being by himself when it happened. He must have been under a lot of stress."
- This article first appeared on Yahoo
