The beginning of 2022 saw the death of treasured 90’s sitcom star, comedian, and television host Bob Saget. Although some speculation percolated about the cause of the 65-year-old actor’s death, officials were quick to state that the preliminary investigation indicated no drugs or foul play were involved. The Orange County medical examiner determined that his death was accidental, likely resulting from a blow to the head sustained in a fall. The full results of the officials’ investigations, however, have yet to be disclosed publicly. Saget’s family is now suing to prevent those records from being released to the public, citing privacy concerns.

On Tuesday, February 15, Saget’s widow and her three daughters filed a lawsuit against the medical examiner’s office and the Orange County sheriff. The family is seeking an injunction to prohibit the release of certain records relating to the comedian’s death, including photographs, video, and audio recordings. They claim that releasing those records to the public would lead only to media proliferation of graphic content regarding the late comedian and his death. According to the lawsuit, the family would “suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if Defendants release the Records in response to public records requests or otherwise disseminate the Records for any other reason or purpose.”

According to an attorney for the family, the lawsuit aims to “prevent disclosure of any photographs or videos of Mr. Saget made by the authorities during their investigation.” While “facts of the investigation should be made public,” graphic photos and videos depicting the late actor’s death “should remain private out of respect for the dignity of Mr. Saget and his family.” He contended that “from a human and legal standpoint, the Saget family’s privacy rights outweigh any public interest in disclosure of this sensitive information.” As stated in the complaint, no “legitimate public interest would be served” by releasing the records.

On Wednesday, the Florida Circuit Court judge granted a temporary injunction blocking release of Saget’s death record by the County officials until further notice. According to the court, Saget’s family has a “clear legal right or interest” in the records, and the family would “suffer irreparable harm in the form of severe mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if the requested temporary injunction is not granted.” The judge put a temporary injunction in place “to allow the Court adequate opportunity to weigh Plaintiffs’ legitimate privacy interest against the public’s claim for disclosure.” The injunction will remain in effect until the court renders a more permanent decision on the matter.

For its part, the Sheriff’s Office acknowledged it is “sensitive to the family’s concerns about the right to privacy,” but argued that their rights “must be balanced with our commitment to transparency, compliance with the law, and the public's right to know.”

Saget’s death has been ruled an accident. According to the medical examiner: “In consideration of the circumstances surrounding the death and after examination of the body, toxicology analysis, histology, and a respiratory pathogen panel, it is my opinion that the death of Mr. Saget was the result of blunt head trauma.” The examiner further stated that Saget’s “injuries were most likely incurred from an unwitnessed fall.”