Bernie Mac’s Widow Drops Medical Malpractice Suit Against Doctor

The wife of the late comedian Bernie Mac has dropped a wrongful death lawsuit against his Chicago, Ill., doctor.

Rhonda McCullough alleged in the lawsuit that dermatologist Rene Earles failed to recognize signs of respiratory distress in the weeks before Mac’s death in 2008 from pneumonia.

McCullough’s attorney, Cannon Lambert Sr., said the lawsuit can be refiled later after “internal issues” are shored up. He did not elaborate.

Earles’ attorney, Mike Prangle, told the Chicago Tribune the lawsuit was dismissed Jan. 15 because McCullough “had no legitimate case against Dr. Earles.”

Earles treated Mac for more than a decade for the lung disease sarcoidosis, which causes inflammation of the body’s tissues.

Born Bernard McCullough, Mac starred in the movie “Ocean’s Eleven” and the sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show.”