Nicole Richie's ex-fiance DJ AM dies 'surrounded by crack pipes and pill bottles'
Nicole Richie's ex DJ AM dies 'surrounded by crack pipes and pill bottles'
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DJ AM, the sought-after disc jockey and former fiance of Nicole Richie, was found dead in his apartment yesterday.
According to police sources, a crack pipe and prescription pills were found in the artist's apartment in Manhattan.
DJ AM, real name Adam Goldstein, survived a plane crash last year that killed four people and seriously injured Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker.
DJ AM, real name Adam Goldsteinm with his former fiancee Nicole Richie in April 2005. The musician died aged 36 in his apartment after what police sources suspect was a drug overdose
He had spoken openly about his past drug addiction to ecstasy and crack cocaine in recent months, and sources also told TMZ.com, the website which broke the news of Michael Jackson's death, that Goldstein had been devastated over a break-up with girlfriend Hayley Wood.
Sources told the website she had called off their relationship within the last week.
A police source told Radaronline.com and AP that paramedics had to break down the 36-year-old front door before they found him, shirtless and wearing sweatpants, in his bed around 5:20 p.m.
A friend had called police to say he was unable to get into the home in the SoHo neighborhood of New York.
The details surrounding the death are still unclear, but sources say investigators are looking into the possibility of a drug overdose.
Adam Goldstein's body was taken out of his New York apartment on Friday
DJ AM was best known for performing at some of Hollywood's most exclusive parties and was previously engaged to Nicole Richie and also dated singer Mandy Moore.
He was known for his DJing style with beats that kept the dance floor packed and clubgoers hypnotized. He was known for his deft mashups, a blend of at least two songs.
He was last seen in public last weekend when he threw the first pitch at a New York Mets game at Citi Field in New York City but, according to reports, friends had not seen him for days.
A visibly devastated Hayley Wood, his ex-girlfriend leaves his apartment supported by friends
Goldstein on holiday in France with Hayley Wood several weeks ago. They reportedly split this week, with the DJ left devastated
The DJ had recently finished filming a reality show for MTV, called Gone Too Far, in which he and concerned families staged interventions for drug abusers.
In a recent interview he talked about holding a crack pipe for the first time in years for the show and said he felt as though he had an angel on his shoulder for surviving so much turmoil.
He said that his past addiction had been so bad that he once tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head - but the gun jammed.
However, he claimed he had been drug-free for 11 years, even swearing off cigarettes.
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DJ AM's last message on Twitter on August 25, after wrapping his MTV show
Celebrities paid tribute to him on Twitter, with Paris Hilton, who had known him since the age of 15, writing: 'R.I.P. AM, I love you and you are already missed so much. My heart and prayers go out to his family and close friends. God bless. :('
She had written just minutes earlier: 'It's so hard to accept that I'm not going to be able to see him or talk to him again. There are no right words for this, I feel so sad. :('
Lindsay Lohan wrote: 'i can't believe this.. i'm in shock. why? why? r.i.p. adam.'
Singer John Mayer also paid tribute: 'We're supposed to lose our friends to time, at an age when we're ready to agree to the terms of having lived a long life. Not now.'
Demi Moore said Goldstein had a 'joyous spirit', while Beyonce's sister Solange, said he was a 'walking miracle'.
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Paris Hilton and Demi Moore leave messages in tribute to the star on Twitter
Sean Combs (P Diddy), Peter Andre, Katy Perry, Demi's husband Ashton Kutcher, singer Alyssa Miliano and Samantha Ronson also paid tribute.
The DJ was himself on Twitter just three days ago. He said he had just wrapped filming of the MTV series in Connecticut and was on his way to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to DJ. He also posted a lyric from the hip-hop legends Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five: 'New York, New York. Big city of dreams, but everything in New York ain't always what it seems.'
Last September Goldstein was critically injured when a Learjet crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina. The plane was transporting him and Travis Barker after a performance.
DJ AM plays at Rain Nightclub in Las Vegas on Monday
When the plane crashed the pair were burned, though Barker was injured more severely. Goldstein had to get skin graft surgery, but about a month later he was performing again, joining Jay-Z on stage.
At the time, he told People magazine he was grateful to survive.
'I can't believe I made it,' he said. 'I've prayed every night for the past 10 years. There's a lot more to thank God for now. ... I was saved for a reason. Maybe I'm going to help someone else. I don't question it. All I know is I'm thankful to be here.'
But TMZ.com sources said he had been battling post-traumatic stress after the crash, and suffering from 'survivors guilt'.
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