DJ AM (nee Adam Goldstein) was
found dead in his NYC apartment yesterday, and while there are still many questions surrounding his untimely passing, the information that has surfaced thus far seems to point to an accidental drug overdose.
The Associated Press reports that a crack pipe and prescription pills were found in Goldstein's apartment, and a law enforcement source added that there was no evidence of foul play. The
NY Daily News reports that when cops rolled over his body, they discovered a near-empty bag of crack cocaine stuck to his chest and at least seven bottles of prescription drugs on his kitchen counter, including the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. It has not yet been confirmed whether the deejay had drugs in his system when he died, but the toxicology reports from his autopsy should be released in the next few weeks.
Goldstein, 36, hadn't been heard from for several days, and when one of his close friends went to check on him yesterday, no one opened the door. The friend then called the police, and shortly after 5pm EST, paramedics, police and the fire department entered the apartment and found Goldstein's
lifeless body. Goldstein was in his bed, face down, shirtless and wearing just a pair of sweatpants.
According to reports, Goldstein had been battling depression, and his
recent breakup with Hayley Wood apparently took a huge toll on him. Many friends and reporters were shocked to learn that drug paraphernalia was found on the scene, as the 36-year-old deejay had been clean and sober for over ten years. Goldstein was working with MTV to develop an intervention show that would help other addicts improve their lives, and he has candidly talked about his own battle with an addiction to crack cocaine, his weight and even a suicide attempt in 1997. At the age of 24, an overweight and miserable Goldstein attempted to shoot himself with a .22 handgun, only to have the gun jam. Goldstein says that was a turning point in his life, and after that he sought help, had gastric bypass surgery and lost over 100 pounds. His life appeared to be back on track after that, but more than ten years later he had another brush with death.
After a concert last September, Goldstein and fellow musician Travis Barker survived a
horrific plane crash in Columbia, South Carolina, which left four other passengers dead. DJ AM, who was once engaged to Nicole Richie, recovered from the fatal accident, but sources say he was still struggling to get off some of the medications that were prescribed to him. No one will ever know how the deejay was able to deal with the traumatic near death experience, but just a few months after the crash, he was back to work, spinning records at some of the hottest clubs in NYC, Hollywood and Las Vegas.
DJ AM was scheduled to spin at Rain nightclub at the Palms in Las Vegas last night, where he is a regular. We're still so shocked and saddened by his death, and our hearts go out to his family, friends and everyone he's helped over the years. God bless you Adam, you will be missed.
