Black Mirror star sues gym for £100,000 after her mum 'died from overheating in sauna'
A Brit actress who appeared in Black Mirror has launched a £100,000 lawsuit against a gym chain in wake of her mum's tragic death.
Milanka Brooks - best known for her role in the dystopian Channel 4 series as well as ITV's comedy Benidorm - is suing under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.
Her mother, former model Mileva Brooks, died in August 2022 after reportedly 'overheating' in a sauna at the Everlast Gym in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
An inquest at Gloucester Crown Court the following year heard how the 75-year-old was 'found unresponsive in the sauna' after collapsing.
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Mileva, who had joined the gym six months earlier, then passed away from the effects of heatstroke in hospital three days later, with Milanka at her bedside.
A post mortem explained that her core body temperature had shot above safe levels, according to The Sun.
Pathologist Dr Matthew Beesley told the inquest: "In my opinion the most likely cause of death in this case is the effects of heatstroke.
"It is not possible to determine on the basis of this examination alone how long Mileva had been exposed to heat in the sauna or estimate what the temperature of the sauna was.
"There is no evidence of any disease that would explain the high body temperature detected at the scene or anything else to provide an alternative cause of death."
Her daughter Milanka is now suing the gym's owners - fitness giant Sports Direct - for 'personal injury and consequential losses' of up to £100,000.
The Black Mirror actress, who played Elena Tulaska in the 2017 episode 'USS Callister', is seeking damages under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.
This act allows the relatives of victims who are killed by the wrongdoing of others to seek financial compensation.
Milanka is suing Sports Direct for 'damages in excess of £50,000, but limited to £100,000', according to legal documents filed at London's High Court.
In posts shared to social media, the 41-year-old actress referred to her mum as her 'silver lining', 'partner in crime' and 'best friend in the world'.
The TV star is also the daughter of late actor Harry Brooks Jr, who had roles in Doctor Who and Danger Man.
Milanka starred as Johnny Vegas’ fiancée, Ionela, in Benidorm back in 2015 as well as portraying Princess Svetlana in the royal family parody, The Windsors, in 2020.
Frasers Group, which is the parent company of Sports Direct, purchased numerous DW Sports Fitness locations in 2020 out of administration.
These were transformed into the Everlast Gyms chain, which boasted more than 60 branches across the UK by 2023, the Independent reports.
LADbible has contacted Frasers Group and Sports Direct for comment.
Topics: UK News, TV and Film, Black Mirror, Parenting
Olivia Burke