Dr. Céline Gounder Quells Speculation Behind Husband Grant Wahl’s Sudden Death: ‘Nothing Nefarious’

KING So true I ░░░░░░░░ that A prince of ░░░░░░░░ human being Those are ░░░░░░░░ of the lovely tributes ░░░░░░░░ to soccer journalist Grant ░░░░░░░░ And that is how ░░░░░░░░ re going to begin ░░░░░░░░ eight o clock hour ░░░░░░░░ you know he died ░░░░░░░░ Friday while covering the ░░░░░░░░ Cup in Qatar Grant ░░░░░░░░ a CBS Sports contributor ░░░░░░░░ a longtime sports journalist ░░░░░░░░ wrote for Sports Illustrated ░░░░░░░░ more than two decades ░░░░░░░░ was one of America ░░░░░░░░ most well known soccer ░░░░░░░░ Now that s the ░░░░░░░░ you probably knew What ░░░░░░░░ may not know is ░░░░░░░░ he was also a ░░░░░░░░ husband married to CBS ░░░░░░░░ Medical Contributor Dr Celine ░░░░░░░░ for 21 years And ░░░░░░░░ joins us in the ░░░░░░░░ Celine you ve been ░░░░░░░░ the studio many many ░░░░░░░░ We re always glad ░░░░░░░░ see to talk about ░░░░░░░░ This is so difficult ░░░░░░░░ have you sitting here ░░░░░░░░ talk about this We ░░░░░░░░ all so sorry So ░░░░░░░░ I m wondering what ░░░░░░░░ think when you see ░░░░░░░░ tributes coming in about ░░░░░░░░ GOUNDER Oh it s ░░░░░░░░ touching KING Does it ░░░░░░░░ you comfort GOUNDER It ░░░░░░░░ does To know that ░░░░░░░░ was so loved by ░░░░░░░░ many people it makes ░░░░░░░░ feel a little bit ░░░░░░░░ alone It feels like ░░░░░░░░ know that s it ░░░░░░░░ like a warm hug ░░░░░░░░ you really need it ░░░░░░░░ Yes Yes GOUNDER in ░░░░░░░░ moment like this KING ░░░░░░░░ you really need it ░░░░░░░░ did you find out ░░░░░░░░ he had passed away ░░░░░░░░ woke up to the ░░░░░░░░ and I was stunned ░░░░░░░░ certainly found out before ░░░░░░░░ rest of us How ░░░░░░░░ you find out GOUNDER ░░░░░░░░ was wrapping up one ░░░░░░░░ my last work calls ░░░░░░░░ the day on Friday ░░░░░░░░ I started to see ░░░░░░░░ from Grant s friend ░░░░░░░░ colleague Gabriele Marcotti another ░░░░░░░░ journalist And I saw ░░░░░░░░ coming in on Twitter ░░░░░░░░ my texts on my ░░░░░░░░ And I I realized ░░░░░░░░ there s clearly something ░░░░░░░░ And so I got ░░░░░░░░ the call and I ░░░░░░░░ Gabriele And he told ░░░░░░░░ he had seen what ░░░░░░░░ happened at the stadium ░░░░░░░░ Grant had collapsed that ░░░░░░░░ had tried to do ░░░░░░░░ for some 20 minutes ░░░░░░░░ then took him off ░░░░░░░░ the hospital And two ░░░░░░░░ his other colleagues were ░░░░░░░░ in a car behind ░░░░░░░░ ambulance And that s ░░░░░░░░ I knew at that ░░░░░░░░ And so then I ░░░░░░░░ to try to track ░░░░░░░░ somebody at the hospital ░░░░░░░░ tell me what had ░░░░░░░░ I kept on asking ░░░░░░░░ he have a pulse ░░░░░░░░ KING So you were ░░░░░░░░ doctor questions because GOUNDER ░░░░░░░░ I knew that was ░░░░░░░░ sign If he had ░░░░░░░░ pulse when he left ░░░░░░░░ stadium that would have ░░░░░░░░ a good sign But ░░░░░░░░ one would answer the ░░░░░░░░ And so to me ░░░░░░░░ was I was scared ░░░░░░░░ was scared KING What ░░░░░░░░ you been told was ░░░░░░░░ cause of death Because ░░░░░░░░ know that there were ░░░░░░░░ s brother came on ░░░░░░░░ and a lot of ░░░░░░░░ were rattled by it ░░░░░░░░ included when he thought ░░░░░░░░ maybe there was foul ░░░░░░░░ here that it didn ░░░░░░░░ make sense to him ░░░░░░░░ Grant was very healthy ░░░░░░░░ you tell us what ░░░░░░░░ the exact cause of ░░░░░░░░ GOUNDER Yeah so he ░░░░░░░░ an autopsy done here ░░░░░░░░ New York by the ░░░░░░░░ York City Medical Examiner ░░░░░░░░ Office and it showed ░░░░░░░░ he had an aortic ░░░░░░░░ that ruptured KING Which ░░░░░░░░ what OK GOUNDER So ░░░░░░░░ that s the big ░░░░░░░░ vessel that comes KING ░░░░░░░░ of the heart GOUNDER ░░░░░░░░ of your heart sort ░░░░░░░░ the trunk of all ░░░░░░░░ blood vessels And an ░░░░░░░░ is a ballooning of ░░░░░░░░ blood vessel wall And ░░░░░░░░ it s weak And ░░░░░░░░ s just one of ░░░░░░░░ things that had been ░░░░░░░░ brewing for years And ░░░░░░░░ whatever reason it happened ░░░░░░░░ this point in time ░░░░░░░░ And how did you ░░░░░░░░ the theories that there ░░░░░░░░ have been foul play ░░░░░░░░ did you process that ░░░░░░░░ I think in these ░░░░░░░░ of moments you really ░░░░░░░░ to show grace to ░░░░░░░░ people grieve And my ░░░░░░░░ my husband s family ░░░░░░░░ family has had a ░░░░░░░░ of loss in the ░░░░░░░░ few years My brother ░░░░░░░░ law was there when ░░░░░░░░ father passed away He ░░░░░░░░ there to see the ░░░░░░░░ compressions and the shocks ░░░░░░░░ was there with my ░░░░░░░░ Shortly thereafter his mom ░░░░░░░░ away Then his dad ░░░░░░░░ So that was grief ░░░░░░░░ GOUNDER Yeah I think ░░░░░░░░ You know there s ░░░░░░░░ been a lot KING ░░░░░░░░ I mean you know ░░░░░░░░ he died I started ░░░░░░░░ the articles that he ░░░░░░░░ written I started looking ░░░░░░░░ some of the tape ░░░░░░░░ that he d done ░░░░░░░░ was clearly at the ░░░░░░░░ of his field Were ░░░░░░░░ a soccer fan GOUNDER ░░░░░░░░ really I m not ░░░░░░░░ of a sports fan ░░░░░░░░ absorbed you know obviously ░░░░░░░░ by osmosis over the ░░░░░░░░ with Grant and you ░░░░░░░░ we get into the ░░░░░░░░ Cup a little bit ░░░░░░░░ him But you know ░░░░░░░░ s not what connected ░░░░░░░░ really KING And so ░░░░░░░░ you see the outpouring ░░░░░░░░ people that knew him ░░░░░░░░ well some of the ░░░░░░░░ that are coming in ░░░░░░░░ know that you said ░░░░░░░░ s like getting a ░░░░░░░░ hug when you need ░░░░░░░░ most How are you ░░░░░░░░ through this I saw ░░░░░░░░ mom and your sisters ░░░░░░░░ here I m so ░░░░░░░░ to see that How ░░░░░░░░ you getting through this ░░░░░░░░ GOUNDER Yeah the support ░░░░░░░░ family and friends So ░░░░░░░░ had two friends come ░░░░░░░░ right after I heard ░░░░░░░░ friend came over later ░░░░░░░░ Friday night She stayed ░░░░░░░░ me She slept over ░░░░░░░░ nights through Sunday And ░░░░░░░░ was the one actually ░░░░░░░░ all of the text ░░░░░░░░ the emails KING Yeah ░░░░░░░░ yeah GOUNDER the calls ░░░░░░░░ that I wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ to do too much ░░░░░░░░ everybody has just been ░░░░░░░░ supportive KING But you ░░░░░░░░ what they say about ░░░░░░░░ that because of Grant ░░░░░░░░ really brought soccer to ░░░░░░░░ in this country That ░░░░░░░░ was so passionate about ░░░░░░░░ sport Why did he ░░░░░░░░ it so GOUNDER I ░░░░░░░░ for him soccer was ░░░░░░░░ than just a sport ░░░░░░░░ was this thing that ░░░░░░░░ people around the world ░░░░░░░░ s so much about ░░░░░░░░ culture the politics of ░░░░░░░░ of soccer To him ░░░░░░░░ was a way of ░░░░░░░░ understanding people and where ░░░░░░░░ were coming from KING ░░░░░░░░ You ve been posting ░░░░░░░░ about with you and ░░░░░░░░ And one of them ░░░░░░░░ didn t know if ░░░░░░░░ was a joke or ░░░░░░░░ but the caption says ░░░░░░░░ is a day Celine ░░░░░░░░ to me Did you ░░░░░░░░ to him GOUNDER I ░░░░░░░░ KING You did GOUNDER ░░░░░░░░ did KING So Celine ░░░░░░░░ were for Laughter GOUNDER ░░░░░░░░ I had just gotten ░░░░░░░░ med school I had ░░░░░░░░ I was going to ░░░░░░░░ back west to where ░░░░░░░░ parents lived It was ░░░░░░░░ state med school And ░░░░░░░░ felt like if I ░░░░░░░░ going to ask Grant ░░░░░░░░ follow me I should ░░░░░░░░ the one proposing KING ░░░░░░░░ I m assuming he ░░░░░░░░ Yes GOUNDER He said ░░░░░░░░ KING And then it ░░░░░░░░ reported that you and ░░░░░░░░ family went to identify ░░░░░░░░ body Was that important ░░░░░░░░ you Because other family ░░░░░░░░ could have done that ░░░░░░░░ you True GOUNDER Yeah ░░░░░░░░ I I just really ░░░░░░░░ to see Because honestly ░░░░░░░░ has been so surreal ░░░░░░░░ had even now having ░░░░░░░░ the body it s ░░░░░░░░ hard to believe this ░░░░░░░░ real But I I ░░░░░░░░ needed that KING Yeah ░░░░░░░░ actually understand that I ░░░░░░░░ back and forth about ░░░░░░░░ I would handle something ░░░░░░░░ I want to see ░░░░░░░░ I actually understand why ░░░░░░░░ desire was so important ░░░░░░░░ you How do you ░░░░░░░░ us all to remember ░░░░░░░░ today Because the tributes ░░░░░░░░ him are amazing GOUNDER ░░░░░░░░ I want people to ░░░░░░░░ him as this kind ░░░░░░░░ person who was really ░░░░░░░░ to social justice You ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ aspect of soccer that ░░░░░░░░ really important to him ░░░░░░░░ you know promoting the ░░░░░░░░ s game You know ░░░░░░░░ recent statements he had ░░░░░░░░ about LGBT rights That ░░░░░░░░ that was Grant That ░░░░░░░░ Grant KING Well I ░░░░░░░░ tells me that s ░░░░░░░░ he will be remembered ░░░░░░░░ he was so beloved ░░░░░░░░ so highly respected And ░░░░░░░░ know we re all ░░░░░░░░ about you today And ░░░░░░░░ just really wheeling you ░░░░░░░░ this Thank you for ░░░░░░░░ You said you wanted ░░░░░░░░ come because you wanted ░░░░░░░░ share Grant s story ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Thank you KING ░░░░░░░░ believe me we would ░░░░░░░░ never asked you but ░░░░░░░░ re so glad that ░░░░░░░░ you reached out and ░░░░░░░░ you want to be ░░░░░░░░ Thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ Thank you.”