In December 1989, Zacarias started taking weight loss medicines without medical supervision.
He quickly lost at least 19 kilograms (42 lb), but this affected his health, and he succumbed to a lung infection.
At the time, the sudden weight loss led to widespread rumors (including a headline in tabloid Notícias Populares[3]) that he had died of AIDS.
In 2022, Brazilian director and journalist Rafael Spaca released a movie called Trapalhadas sem Fim (lit.
Endless Messes), and resurfaced the claims that Zacarias had died of AIDS, unearthing evidences in the form of his death certificate, which listed some complications that led to his death, some common to HIV patients, with one of them scribbled over beyond recognition[4]) and testimonies from people who surrounded the artist's life and work.