Hospital: Gary Coleman's Ex Had Right to Make Medical Decisions

Actor had filled out an Advanced Health Care Directive, according to hospital where he died

Shannon Price was no longer Gary Coleman's missus, but apparently he trusted her with his life anyway.

E! News has learned that the ex-Mrs. Coleman did indeed have the legal right to make medical decisions for the actor if he was incapacitated and unable to do so, as Price would have had to do to allow doctors to remove Coleman from life support last week.

So even though she technically told an untruth by telling hospital workers she was Coleman's wife, she didn't cross other, shadier lines.

"Mr. Coleman had completed an Advanced Health Care Directive that granted Shannon Price permission to make medical decisions on his behalf if he was unable to do so," reads a statement released by Utah Valley Regional Medical Center to E! News.

"An Advanced Health Care Directive remains in effect regardless of a patient's marital status, unless modified by the patient. It is a private medical document which the hospital does not have permission to release. However, we received permission to confirm that the document was in effect at the time of Mr. Coleman's death."

No other information is available due to federal privacy statutes.

Coleman had been undergoing dialysis for kidney disease at the time of his death. He was born with congenital kidney disease, the treatment for which stunted his growth at an early age, and he suffered from related health problems all his life.

He and Price were still living together when he died. She told police that she was in the master bedroom when she heard a thud from downstairs, discovered the 42-year-old unconscious and called 911.