Thus, when Lee actually did die, speculation abounded as to the cause. The rumors ranged from Lee being killed by Hong Kong triads (gangsters) because he refused to pay them protection money - ?something that was common for Chinese movie stars to do at that time ?to his being killed by an angry martial artist's dim mak (death touch) strike. Some people claimed Lee was cursed?he had just bought a house in Hong Kong that was supposed to be haunted?or that he had died while mking love to actress Betty Tingpei, or that he had angered the Chinese martial arts community by teaching foreigners, and that he had been killed in a challenge match.

A short time later, Lee complained of a headache and Tingpei gave him a tablet of Equagesic?a kind of super sapirin. Apart from that, Lee reportedly consumed nothing but a couple of soft drinks.