River Phoenix was killed 28 years ago today

I warned him.

Technically, I think it was suicide.

That night Alec Baldwin was seen slinking away in the shadows and laughing manically.

River Phoenix was killed by his own stupid behavior 28 years ago today.

Fixed.

River was handed a drink with copious amounts of cocaine and heroin. He was unaware of the contents . Who the hell willingly drinks coke and heroin?!

I only remember seeing all the flowers in front of the VR on Sunset as I walked home. Sad to think a young human being ended his life right there on the stinky walkway.

RIP. He was very troubled but it’s too bad. That 911 call from Joaquin is very sad and it’s pretty clear Joaquin has never been the same since seeing that death.

Inspired one of the most inspirational songs of our time.

He wasn’t killed…he died from being a fucking junkie.

Also, while I love Christina Applegate and just think she’s the coolest, it’s funny how people forget she used to be a huge druggie who was partying with Phoenix the night he died. She needs to write a memoir since she probably has some great stories.

I met my husband the next year at the WeHo Halloween gathering.

“Young and strong,

Hollywood son,

In the early morning light,

This star fell down,

On Sunset Boulevard.”

R9 She performed an interpretive dance in his memory!

His fucked-up cult family killed him.

Who was the crazy person who used to shriek JUDY DAVIS KILLED HIM! on here all the time?

Oh, wow, R12 wasn’t exaggerating.

I saw a photo of him in his open coffin and he looked frightening!

He was so good in Running on Empty

Running on Empty was written by Naomi Foner, who has a famous gay son.

When Christina dances the audience is always supportive

Thanks r9. Didn’t know any of that. The times I went to VR, seemed like a druggie den. Not gay so headed down Larrabee to Santa Monica. Much more fun. Ah, those were the days.

There was a memorial service for him where his stupid hippy family told sweet stories about him and he was eulogized like he was an old man who'd died in his sleep. Sick of all that crap, the director John Boorman shouted out "Is there anyone here who can tell us why River took all those drugs?' His former girlfriend Martha Plimpton stood up and tried to explain: "He had so much compassion for everyone and everything that he had a weight on his shoulders. He was obsessive, When he wanted to eat artichokes he would eat ten at a time. He did everything to that degree,."

The coroner's report on River Phoenix showed he'd ingested eight times the lethal dose of cocaine; four times the lethal dose of heroin, as well as traces of marijuana, Valium and ephedrine, an over the counter cold medication. . The cause of death was "acute multiple drug intoxication." It was ruled an accidental death.

Blood sacrifice

I feel like John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is more or less responsible for his death. Another weird thing was Flea and Depp were adamantly against River (who had brought his guitar) playing onstage at the Viper Room that night.

It's easy to understand why River Phoenix was so fucked up. He had that awful childhood with those dreadful hippy parents. The family was like nomads and the children had no stability or security and were barely educated. And of course he was sexually molested by members of the freaky Children of God cult that his parents belonged to. Then he became a rich and famous movie star, which didn't help his emotional stability any and gave him the money to indulge in whatever respite that gave him temporary relief from his mental torment. The kid was doomed.

Very strange backstory there it seems, R23.

Here he is in the box:

He looked like Beavis AND Butthead in his casket.

R16, that’s because his face was damaged due to the violent seizures . He was like a shark out of water

“ Another weird thing was Flea and Depp were adamantly against River (who had brought his guitar) playing onstage at the Viper Room that night.” Were they part of the conspiracy to murder River? They certainly were involved with the coverup.

The Phoenix family is a pack of leeches. River was supporting them all.

The autopsy revealed that River had not snorted any drugs nor shot up through veins of muscle. Again, who drinks a speedball?

Or muscle

R30, they are also complicit in coverup and continue to exploit River for financial gain

R16 You rang.

R31 so who handed River the speedball? Did he know he was consuming it? I don't understand the motive for doing this if he didn't intend to do drugs at that time or in that amount. Why kill him?

I can remember this like it was yesterday. I was a senior in high school and we were all devastated. Our teachers and parents had no idea who River Phoenix was.

John Fruciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers handed River a Dixie cup and told River who had a cold that night “ drink this you’ll feel fabulous.” River gulped it down and immediately knew it was lethal . He said “ something is wrong “ and vomited on table . I surmise the cocaine numbed his mouth and throat . River had Prescription for Valium and he took one Valium as he was panicking after taking the drink. River had vomited subsequently two more times as the lethal concoction was taking effect. I believe that the cup actually had more amounts of Coke and heroin and river vomited them up. I will get into motive later today.

He told someone he thought he was ODing, R37, very sad, esp if intentional. Why did Flea go in the ambulance if he had family there?

From what I remember reading, Christina just happened to be there that night. She was not partying with Phoenix and wasn’t even aware that it was him convulsing on the sidewalk until she saw Samantha Mathis and asked her.

I've also heard that it was John Frusciante who was responsible for his death. Fucking junkie loser.

Unless he forced the drink down his throat then only River is responsible for his own death.

R41 why would he assume someone he’s with who has handed him a drink has given him something lethal. Poor guy. My sympathy is with river on this one.

R37 thank you, I'm very interested in why someone (John Frusciante) would do this.

I did a lot of drugs back in my day, and I never knew one could drink cocaine. Slam, smoke and snort for sure. But not drink.

Thanks for education me DL!

this goes into it. I've heard over and over Frusciante handed him the deadly concoction.

“His parents saw him as their savior,” Plimpton says, and treated him as the father.” Eventually, because the family was so generous about sheltering lost souls, up to a dozen people lived near or on the Micanopy property, in a motor home, two travel trailers, and in Phoenix’s apartment above his recording studio; River supported them all."

Why weren’t Frusciante and Flea and JD ever questioned? Its well known Frusciante gave him the drink. There is no way he didn’t know the amount of drugs in the cup would kill him. There were hundreds and hundreds of dollars of drugs in the drink. Someone had to have dumped them in there. It sounds like premeditated murder to be honest.

R47 I agree. The "why" is what is confusing to me.

R37 Hanging on to hear that.

[quote]killed

What a nice word for it

His stupid parents didn't want to press any kind of charges against the person who gave him the lethal speedball, or even have him named. They figured that would have been the way River would have wanted it. Well, I would sure want the person who gave my child the drugs that killed him to be arrested. You're damn right I would.

[quote]River had Prescription for Valium and he took one Valium as he was panicking after taking the drink.

Well that was smart.

R34, did you not see r26?

OP, don’t you mean River Phoenix’s buzz was killed 28 years ago today?

[quote]Who was the crazy person who used to shriek JUDY DAVIS KILLED HIM! on here all the time?

No, what he said was, "JUDY DAVIS MILKED HIM!"

She was very much into prostate milking at the time...

My intent is not to derail this thread but I thought some may enjoy this Judy Davis thread.

R52, I don’t believe river knew it was heroin and cocaine,and I agree that his anxiety disorder made him swallow the valium i guess.

As if it all wasn’t tragic enough, his real last name was Bottom.

But was he, though?

He was a perfect target if it was murder since he was a junkie. The cause of death does seem suspicious but that is outweighed by the fact that he was an addict and it could’ve easily been an accidental overdose.

Why the fuck would anyone want to kill him?

R8, that Carly Simon song is iconic.

They don't make songs like that anymore and they don't make films like Working Girl anymore either. It's all Marvel comics bs, or remakes of remakes of films no-one was interested in, the first time round to begin with.

"Let The River Run" sucks. It really sucks.

R61, Johnny Depp needed a blood sacrifice.

Speaking of "Working Girl," imho that is the film that most encapsulates 80s NYC.

Maybe Flea did too, R64. But re: Depp, on Halloween, quite possibly.

R60, River dabbled in drugs for sure. He was completely clean except the Valium he took occasionally for anxiety. He did not use anything for the 8 weeks he was in Utah filming. The autopsy report the coroner said his organs were all healthy compared to a drug addict his age he did not have the indications of being a hard-core user.

It makes no sense why his friends would want him dead.

Why didn’t they want him to play that night?

John Frusciante was a really bad junkie, so if he gave River the concoction, he was probably out of his mind and thought it was funny or he just wanted to get River as fucked up as he was.

Uh, pretty sure John WAS a terrible addict. There's some fucked up video on YouTube of his mansion in Beverly Hills and it looked like a crack house.

Didn’t I say he was, not is?

Oh. Sorry.

They say the Viper Room is haunted.

John Frusciante absolutely killed Phoenix. He should have been held accountable for it.

Motive, R73?

"River dabbled in drugs for sure."

"Dabbled?" No one who just "dabbles" in drugs would take something even though he had no idea what was in it. That's something a stone cold addict would do.

R75, in a small cup of liquid? He certainly didn’t think it was coke and smack

Some River fans are in denial that he was a drug addict and it killed him. He was not murdered. Martha Plimpton said he used to call her after they broke up high and he didn’t make sense and wouldn’t want to talk to him,

[quote] in a small cup of liquid? He certainly didn’t think it was coke and smack.

What did he think it was? The druggie who gave it to him said it would make him feel "fabulous." He must have known some kind of powerful drug was in it.

River was feeling a bit under the weather and he was given the impression it was probably an alcoholic tonic or such

[quote]Who the hell willingly drinks coke and heroin?!

One of my faves!

Who on earth drinks drugs? He'd have no reason to suspect the dixie cup. It's not like Frusciante handed him a needle FFS.

Just admit you hate addicts and move on.

Four times a fatal dose of coke is a hell of a lot. Maybe an ounce. That's a lot to drink down.

An addict can be murdered. An addict can have crimes committed against them. A lot of people think addicts deserve whatever they get though.

{quote]why would he assume someone he’s with who has handed him a drink has given him something lethal. Poor guy. My sympathy is with river on this one.

Why would anyone drink something that was handed to them if they don't know what they're drinking? He was told to drink it and it would make him feel fabulous, so what do you thiink that would be, Diet Pepsi? If you're at a club with people and one of them hands you an unidentified drink there's a good chance it contains either boose or drugs.

R84, clearly he wasn't very bright.

R84 by all accounts he was handed a drink From a friend. Why would he have any reason to believe the friend wanted to harm him. All well and good to say in hindsight he should have known.

A stare from Judy Davis would be enough to kill anyone.

John F. handed him a drink that had way to much of everything in it. It was an accident, and I'm sure John felt terrible about it. River was a beautiful man, and I miss him.

There’s a LOT of context missing here, some on purpose. I’ve hung out with druggies in my youth too and yeah, I wouldn’t have drank the tonic if I knew there was drugs in in because I need to SEE the amounts. The problem was he was hanging out with the wrong crowd AND didn’t have anyone looking out for him.

I’ve said this before, but the only thing River had going for himself was his head full of lush, gorgeous hair.

He’s about as plain looking as a bowl of oatmeal for a white boy- and if he had male pattern baldness no one would’ve looked at him twice.

[quote] but the only thing River had going for himself was his head full of lush, gorgeous hair.

Well, and his whiteness. That alone can get all these mopey responses for someone who is plain and unremarkable several years later.

I have nothing against him, but I believe that there are plenty of other people who have done a lot more for society or humanity at large and deserve the worship rather than some ordinary, privileged guy, who just like anyone his age would do, went out, got wasted and unfortunately, took the wrong decision or was unlucky.

JF and Johnny Depp were good friends and RP looked a lot like Depp, which he may have seen as competition.

How did cocaine and heroin 3-4 times the lethal dose get into that glass? Hardly by accident.

R89, River Phoenix was a very talented actor. Being raised by selfish parents who then used him makes him very relatable. So sad his light ended way too early.

One must also remember that the internet, revealing horrific tales of the cult life of children "imprisoned" and indoctrinated by their parents in a dreadful life, had not yet exploded.

"I’ve said this before, but the only thing River had going for himself was his head full of lush, gorgeous hair"

Perception is reality I guess, but I thought he was an amazing, intuitive actor for someone so young. And no one really filled in that smoldering, odd, artsy niche he occupied at the time.

But yeah, I also get why its so easy to be sarcastic and dismissive of him. If I were cynical and bitter, I too might think he was just some worthless white loser actor kid.

[quote]Uh, pretty sure John WAS a terrible addict. There's some fucked up video on YouTube of his mansion in Beverly Hills and it looked like a crack house.

The link below starts at 4:10 but if you start at the beginning it shows clips from a few years before, including one where he pulls down his pants & pretends to jerk off.

He had no cheekbones.

[quote] John F. handed him a drink that had way to much of everything in it.

Except for that extra O, apparently.

[quote] River was feeling a bit under the weather and he was given the impression it was probably an alcoholic tonic or such.

What the hell is an "alcoholic tonic?" Oh, he knew something was really strong in that drink. And being a drug addict he drank it no questions asked. He was an idiot.

[quote] by all accounts he was handed a drink From a friend. Why would he have any reason to believe the friend wanted to harm him.

His "friend" was a hard core druggie. Maybe that should have given him pause. Maybe that should have stopped him from drinking something a hard core druggie offers.

The comments about "bland whiteness" scream LSA frauen. He was the most promising young actor of his cohort - he wrote and directed his fireplace scene in My Own Private Idaho. Had he not died, Leo DiCaprio would be third string on an HBO show at best.

I always found it interesting that he and his brother were raised in a cult, and were begging on the streets in South American cities, as children, and both ended up big movie stars. I think their mother was a casting person so that was an in, for them. But both ended up enormously successful - even if they were fucked up. It's funny how many fucked up people become very successful. Even though they go against most of the rules people on DL seem to think lead to success, like a good education, proper upbringing, behaving in socially acceptible ways, and conforming in general.

Conspiracy theories make stupid people feel smart.

Do the people who were there ever discuss the night RP died? Did his death ruin any friendships? Weren’t friends of RP pissed at JF? What exactly did Johnny Depp cover up?

R102 exactly. People who need to feel like they're "in the know" when they really know nothing.

[quote] Do the people who were there ever discuss the night RP died? Did his death ruin any friendships? Weren’t friends of RP pissed at JF? What exactly did Johnny Depp cover up?

I think his death was talked about immediately after it happened but nobody obsessed over it, including his parents and siblings. What was to discuss? He took a lot of drugs and died. The person who gave the drugs to him was obviously forgiven and no charges were ever brought against him. I suppose his death was considered to be an unfortunate accident.

As far as I know no relationships were "ruined" by his death.

I don't know if River's friends were pissed at JF. It could be a few were. But it seems more likely that they didn't hold anything against him for giving his friend a lethal dose of drugs. I guess they figured everybody makes mistakes.

What did Johnny Depp have to cover up? Oh, his Viper Club was a cesspool but I think everybody knew that. He was in no way responsible for River's death, except it was at his club that River was given the drugs the killed him.

I saw Johnny Depp at a performance of “The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in mid November 1993 with director Jim Jarmusch and a blond woman, who I’ve only just in the last year realized was Samantha Mathis. She wasn’t well enough known at that time that I would have identified her. I remember being quite shocked that he was out in public so early after River’s death at his club and I know at that time I held him partially responsible for River’s death. It was a different time when there were still ideas of “sense of decorum” around things. There was much stirring of the audience all around them, which in fact was unusual. Celebrity spottings in Brooklyn were low key events that didn’t usually draw that much attention.

Was Mathis dating depp, do you know? I’d never heard that. I thought that and her mothers death shortly after detailed her career which was just getting going around 93/94

Derailed

The Viper room was a notorious drug den and the police looked away because of mobster connections. Even the disappearance of Depp's business partner Anthony Fox was never resolved. Depp is incredibly dirty. The Viper Room was Depp's business. Very easy to cover up how the drugs got into RP's drink. JP probably keeps quiet about this because he knows some crime was involved in his brother's death and the people with the money are protecting Depp because he was a huge cash cow for Hollywood for decades.

Why didn’t they want him to play guitar that night?

[quote] Had he not died, Leo DiCaprio would be third string on an HBO show at best.

This is a common misconception. Dicaprio had already filmed his big breakthrough role in This Boy's Life when River Phoenix was still alive. That's what put him on the map. He then did What's Eating Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries, two roles which River would've been too old for.

No idea why they didn't want him to play, but it's an interesting detail I've come across reading about his death, from multiple sources. In any case, they shut him down, so he had much less of a reason, to be present, and remain sober??

Apparently, he had brought his guitar and everything. Maybe he sucked? Friends claim his band "Alecka's Attic" was his big passion, and that his acting career, was just a way to make lots of dough. I never heard his band (Sister Rainbow was also onboard), but I'm sure if it was even remotely listenable, people would have actually heard them?

It's an interesting, albeit confusing detail of the story.

[quote] Maybe that should have stopped him from drinking something a hard core druggie offers.

Especially when said druggie says to you “this will make you feel fabulous!”

R109 You sound like you are in the know.

R109, Please elaborate on what you know to be true.

I also would like to know more r109. Was it really deliberate? Who would benefit from his death? ... I always thought that a very strong speedball dissolved in liquid would be something to be injected, small amounts by several people. It could, in theory, be an accident, like a prank, but something doesn't add up. I truly wish we will know the truth someday. And someone his indeed responsible.

I keep reading that he was about to be a legend. How so?

Didn't Christian Slater take over his (RP) role in Interview with a Vampire? That wasn't a substantial part. Why wasn't River cast in one of the main roles?

Strange take on this. Everyone was using and those who weren't didn't fucking belong in that scene. He wasn't killed, he was using and OD. These days people use narcan to revive someone who overdoses, this wasn't an option back then.

River didn't know there were drugs in the drink John Frusciante handed him and told him to drink. River was good friends with the RHCP and had a trusting nature. River was a drug dabbler, not a junkie. At the time he was clean for over 2 months, having been away on set during the shooting of a film. The only thing he was having that wasn't clean during that period was smoking cigarettes and the occasional joint. He took an antihistamine than night because he felt like he was coming down with a cold. Why John F gave River a drink spiked with multiple lethal doses of hard drugs to kill even a hardcore user is the unanswered question.

Did River’s parents get a big insurance payoff with his death?

"River didn't know there were drugs in the drink John Frusciante handed him and told him to drink. River was good friends with the RHCP and had a trusting nature. River was a drug dabbler, not a junkie."

As someone else mentioned, what did he think was in the drink, Diet Coke? Diet Coke that would make him feel "fabulous?" And what makes you think he was a "dabbler" when it came to drugs? He was so into drugs that his friends feared for his life. He was a addict. You are truly delusional.

[quote] I remember being quite shocked that he was out in public so early after River’s death at his club and I know at that time I held him partially responsible for River’s death. It was a different time when there were still ideas of “sense of decorum” around things.

Apparently he didn't hold himself partly responsible for River's death. He probably didn't realize that you did, and that you would be there.

Depp was also getting high, as we now realize. Everybody was using.

People are looking at this from a 2021 perspective. Back then, people didn't think twice about drinking something someone you just met handed to you, let alone a friend. We know better now because of tragedies like River's death, people who have been roofied, etc. People were way more trusting back then, and River Phoenix already had a too trusting nature. Sadly, he met up with a junkie idiot named John Frusciante.

Dear heaven I’m quoting Nancy Regan, or at least her PR shill, but whatever happened to “just say no?”

Where is it said that it was a drink that River Phoenix was given? In "Lost in Hollywood: the fast times and short life of River Phoenix" by John Glatt it says:

"At 12:45 a.m. a musician friend of Phoenix offered him some high-grade Persian Brown. "Try this, it'll make you feel fabulous."

As soon as Phoenix snorted it the started trembling and shaking in front of the sink. He screamed at his friend "What did you give me? What the fuck was in it?" After he vomited in the men's room. Someone tried to help him by splashing cold water over his face and he was given some Valium to calm in down."

Yeah, that's just what he needed, more drugs! He was staggering , complained he couldn't breathe and briefly passed out. Did anyone call an ambulance? Heavens no. His dumb girlfriend Samantha Mathis called some people back at their hotel for help, but what the hell could they do? She and Joaquin (he was known as "Leaf" back then) led him outside where he collapsed on the sidewalk and started flopping around like a fish out of water. He was having violent seizures. After eight minutes he lay still. By the time paramedics arrived at 1:14 a.m. he had gone into cardiac arrest and had no signs of a pulse or blood pressure. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 on the morning of Halloween.

The director Bill Richert said "River died in front of the Viper Club on Halloween under a full moon. Those are dark circumstances."

No wonder Depp didn’t get sober long after the date he should have. He is a guilty fucking psychopath.

Anthony Fox is alive and well, R109. A private detective, hired by Amber Heard hoping he would dig up dirt on Depp, found him. Depp had no involvement in Fox's disappearance nor did he play any role in RP's death.

Druggies deserve no compassion, they have no humanity.

It was just a matter of time. He refused to go to rehab. I read a book written by his manager. He was doing so much drugs that he was having a hard time even saying his lines. Simple scenes required lots of takes. She actually had to pull in favors to get him that role Interview with a vampire. That he never ended up doing.

R117, I read the book Swimming With Sharks (I think it was called that) written by River’s agent’s assistant. He said that the Interview with the Vampire role was fought for really hard by them because no one wanted to hire River after his poor behavior on the set of The Thing Called Love and Dark Blood. There’s a story in the book about how River threw a tantrum over a dead rattlesnake on set and his mom or his agent had to fly out to New Mexico and talk him down. He also had been throwing tantrums in the years leading to his death like screaming at his agents and friends and throwing cell phones out of car windows. The man who wrote this book is gay and he said that River would call him on the phone and call him a faggot and a cock sucker when he was drunk and angry. This assistant also said that he and River’s agent were adamantly against him taking the Idaho role because they didn’t think it was safe for his health. Anyway, apparently River wanted the Tom Cruise part in Vampire but they could only get the interviewer role. Allegedly, his opportunities were drying up because of his behavior. If you watch The Thing Called Love you can tell his spark was fading. He’s hardly there. Roger Ebert wrote a very poignant review of it. He said that River was like a black hole and it was all very sad. It’s like night and day to see his performance in that versus his scathing part as Indiana Jones. It’s too bad.

This is a really awesome “deepfake” some very talented individual made of River over Michael Pitt in Funny Games. I think this video gives an insight to what he could’ve became. It’s bittersweet to see “River” looking so alive and well in this.

(R131) That’s the one movie of his that I cannot watch. The thing called love. It’s like it’s not the same person. He’s just gone. It’s terrible.

You and I read the same book, R130! Did you also find it bizarre how the author randomly shoehorned a personal sexual encounter in graphic detail in the middle of the book right before talking about the call about River’s death? I thought that was so tacky and queeny.

River as Jack in Titanic.

River would've been too old for Jack in Titanic, he would've been pushing 30 by then.

(R134) Yeah it was creepy. I’m glad I read it though because it had a little more information in it. His manager was a piece of work. I thought it was actually heartbreaking that they were fighting over who was going to pay for his funeral.

[quote]Who the hell willingly drinks coke and heroin?!

Uh, well...

"The Viper Room: Where young Hollywood goes to blow off steam, and who knows what else!"

--Jiminy Glick

This is interesting from the story R45 shared:

"Yet, another account of that night that came directly from River’s girlfriend Samantha Mathis who witnessed “a guitarist friend” giving him a small Dixie cup of liquid, saying “Drink this Riv, it will make you feel fabulous.” This small cup was laced with a staggering 8x a lethal speedball, dissolved in the drink. Perhaps it was a cup that was meant to be passed around amongst a circle of friends and each takes a sip. Who knows? But the giver didn’t say “take a sip of this”, he told him to drink it. River took the cup and downed the poisoned drink."

this closeted fag was a drug addict. He wasn't "killed" 28 years ago! Fuck off, OP. He OD'd. Plain and simple.

[quote] "Yet, another account of that night that came directly from River’s girlfriend Samantha Mathis who witnessed “a guitarist friend” giving him a small Dixie cup of liquid, saying “Drink this Riv, it will make you feel fabulous.” This small cup was laced with a staggering 8x a lethal speedball, dissolved in the drink. Perhaps it was a cup that was meant to be passed around amongst a circle of friends and each takes a sip. Who knows? But the giver didn’t say “take a sip of this”, he told him to drink it. River took the cup and downed the poisoned drink."

What a dipshit.

They didn't want him to play that night because he was SHITTY. Embarrassingly SHITTY. There was room on that stage for only ONE grunge-rocker-wannabe movie star SHITTY MUSICIAN, and that was Johnny Depp.

Who cares?

He died because he was too good for this world.

And, because he did an enormous speedball.

How come there is a picture of his dead body in the coffin, didn't they get a mortician to make him look less bloody and bruised. It just seems they threw him into the coffin as he was.

RP was like Depp, a famous actor heartthrob living a fantasy of being a guitarist, though both sucked musically. They wanted to be up there on stage with the real musicians. But they sucked so bad that they were only allowed on stage due to ass kissing or drugs. So, Depp was allowed. RP wasn't that night and it really upset him. The guy who gave RP the lethal drink was everything Depp and RP wanted to be -- a talented guitarist and singer. They both wanted to play with him. RP was heartbroken that he wasn't allowed to be on the stage. The guy who gave him the drugs might have been trying to make him feel better in terms of dissolving his hurt feelings because he was the one RP wanted to play with and wasn't allowed. The person who gave him the drugs had the real talent. No one knows that now except Depp. RP and Depp had popularity, fame, name recognition, but never the pure musical talent they worshiped and wanted. And, by the way, RHCP was a joke without the guy who gave RP the lethal dose--he was the real talent while the other members of the band were just performers and attention whores.

R147 You are right about RHCP. Anthony Kiedis is the luckiest man in the world for having a career.

Flea got lucky too.

Why was he the one who rode in the ambulance, not his brother or gf?

At one point John Frusciante was thrown out of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, possibly the druggiest band in history, for being too much of an addict.

Killed? I think you mean overdosed. No one killed him.

I don’t believe he’d been clean for months before showing up that night at the Viper Room. I swear I’ve read he’d been on a bender with Frusciante beforehand. They knew he was in no condition to play onstage even before he drank death from a Dixie cup.

Poor guy was on a self-destructive path, he needed serious therapy and to step away from Hollywood for awhile. If he hadn’t died that particular night, it would have been an overdose on another night soon after.

Parents, stay out of child abusing sex cults, it fucks them up for life!

I imagine they didn't want him to play because he was bad and also he was erratic and had been doing drugs for a while and he didn't belong on stage.

I remember reading about him and how he was unable to perform in his last movies because of drugs, while at the same time, being vegan and insisting on only eating healthy food. For some reason you see that combination a lot in stories of Hollywood celebs. Like, they'd take drugs, but not eat a burger because THAT was unhealthy.

I remember when Joaquin allowed his brother-in-law to cheat while they filmed together and he didn’t do anything about it, once he got outed he became this loyal and protective brother after the divorce and haven’t spoken to him since.

[quote] Parents, stay out of child abusing sex cults, it fucks them up for life!

Will do!

Whoever put together that drink and gave it to him must have known it would kill him.

[quote]I remember reading about him and how he was unable to perform in his last movies because of drugs, while at the same time, being vegan and insisting on only eating healthy food. For some reason you see that combination a lot in stories of Hollywood celebs. Like, they'd take drugs, but not eat a burger because THAT was unhealthy.

And the present-day equivalent is they'll take botox injections but not vaccines.

[quote]River gulped it down and immediately knew it was lethal . He said “ something is wrong “ and vomited on table

[quote]He said “ something is wrong

So, R37, the drink turned him into a robot?

LOL, I’ve thought that as well about the drugs and the veganism. Apparently he also would leave shits unflushed in toilets everywhere he went because he thought that flushing used too much water. Nice.

I'm curious where some of these accounts of that night are coming from. Samantha Mathis told a reporter she was in he bathroom when River ingested whatever killed him:

[quote]On the night of 30 October 1993, when Mathis realised Phoenix wanted to stay at the Viper Room, she went to the bathroom. “I knew he was high that night, but the heroin that killed him didn’t happen until he was in the Viper Room. I have my suspicions about what was going on, but I didn’t see anything,” she says. When Mathis came out of the bathroom she saw what she thought was Phoenix in a scuffle with another man, and the two of them being pushed out of the club’s side door by a bouncer. When she went out on to the street after them, she saw Phoenix drop to the ground and go into convulsions on the pavement. Thankfully, this was before the paparazzi had became ubiquitous so no one took photos, but it also meant no one was around to help.

Perhaps he was given the lethal cocktail in order keep him offstage - to sedate him, not kill him.

[quote]His stupid parents didn't want to press any kind of charges against the person who gave him the lethal speedball, or even have him named. They figured that would have been the way River would have wanted it. Well, I would sure want the person who gave my child the drugs that killed him to be arrested. You're damn right I would.

Flea probably rode in the ambulance to make sure nothing incriminating was said, if River came to.

Maybe a little out if guilt.

The parents probably didn’t press charges because certain culpable individuals financially compensated them out of guilt/self-preservation.

He may not have been murdered, but he was killed.

He wasn't at all talented musically. I used to know a guy who ran a recording studio in the Gainesville area and worked with Aleka's Attic. He said that everybody in the band was talented except for those with the last name Phoenix: i.e., River and Rain.

I honestly think his parents didn't push it because they didn't want to piss anyone in the industry off. They still had other children they could (and did) groom for success.

I don't think anyone was trying to kill him or that he committed suicide by drinking what he thought was a lethal dose of drugs. It was just one of those Hollywood nights where everyone was drunk or high and didn't know their asses from their elbows. Just a crowd of stupid, stoned, drunk idiots.

Oh fuck, he wasn't killed and didn't kill himself either, he just died, simple as that.

Died of an accidental overdose, that's a risk every person doing drugs take.

If you are desperate to blame someone, then blame the way Americans tend to normalize illicit drugs, specially disgraceful heavy stuff like Heroin or very addicting and dangerous stuff like Cocaine.

Hollywood drug culture is endless, stars practically never get busted for their drug use, yet you can bet some 75% are into illegal junk. Same for the people working behind the cameras, that's why this war on drugs thing is a joke.

By the time of his death he probably had been using drugs for at least some seven or eight years, he was certainly warned that drugs were for him, but he just didn't care.

Just like anti-maskers don't care about Covid and there's no point in trying to warn them,they'll only believe the dangers of covid or that it isn't a communist conspiracy when it happens TO THEM.

R100 LSA loves River Phoenix so idk what you’re talking about. And DiCaprio was already making a name for himself before Phoenix died.

R106, Samantha was River’s Girlfriend at the time of his death and was with him when he was given the lethal drink. Samantha was the only one who seemed really distraught about it and suddenly Johnny Depp scoops are up I don’t think he was attracted to her I think he was trying to keep her close by so she wouldn’t talk.

R126, autopsy indicated no signs of snorting any substance. River would have to be an elephant to snort that much powder drugs anyway

[quote]stars practically never get busted for their drug use,

Because they don't buy their drugs themselves, or drive around with drugs in their cars.

[quote]Perhaps he was given the lethal cocktail in order keep him offstage - to sedate him, not kill him.

If there was multiple times the lethal dose in the cocktail they gave him, obviously they wanted to sedate him indefinitely.

I never found him attractive.

The druggie who gave him the drug drink was just some stupid stoned ass who thought what was in the drink would make Phoenix feel good. It was chock full of heroin and cocaine but no doubt he thought it would make him feel REALLY good. It was stupidity that ruled the day, stupidity on the druggie's part and of River Phoenix's.

Depp was a musician before he was an actor, R143. He was in a band called the kids. He's always dabbled in music.

Depp's publicist is very busy on this thread.

Weirdos.

I’d hate to admit it but River was not a very good singer. But just because you love something doesn’t mean you’re good at it. He was an actor because he was forced into it. He was the breadwinner. He didn’t have any education, so what else could he do? Depp gets by. Maybe because he looks so much like Keith Richards now. I bet he reeks of cigarettes, whiskey and embalming fluid.

I don't know who was responsible, exactly, but the guy was a time bomb, he was already a drug addict. I loved him, he was a favorite of mine and he was super talented and magnetic. But he was not on a good path. He was self-destructive. The club scene on the Strip is well known for being a drug haven, for decades, he was aware of what he was getting into. He didn't just end up there by mistake, hanging with druggie actors and rock stars. This was a lifestyle. He was just one of the unlucky ones who was into that lifestyle.

Did RP struggle with mental health? Depression? Anxiety?

If that's a dig at me, R175, then I'm afraid you're wrong. I just can't abide misinformation regardless of who it's about. Anthony Fox is alive and well. Google it. The private detective hired by Heard found nothing particularly shady about Depp's past.

Complex trauma, R179. He was raised in a child sex cult, literally.

R181 I would describe it as more of a religious cult where child sex happened, and was condoned or encouraged. That was one part of a bigger picture, of weird, abusive, manipulative practices and adult sex. It was not the stated reason or purpose of the cult.

[Had he not died, Leo DiCaprio would be third string on an HBO show at best. ]

DiCaprio was at the Viper Room that night! Could it be that....?

R182, he was exposed to and engaged in sex acts at a toddler/preschool age in the context of the cult by his own description. That creates complex trauma.

[quote]I would describe it as more of a religious cult where child sex happened, and was condoned or encouraged. That was one part of a bigger picture, of weird, abusive, manipulative practices and adult sex. It was not the stated reason or purpose of the cult.

Seems like rather a moot point.

DiCaprio was NOT at the viper room that night. He was at a different club and he said he saw river that night at that club before the phoenixes went to the viper room

"Had he not died, Leo DiCaprio would be third string on an HBO show at best."

Did Leo die???

Wonder how many knew of the "plan?"

[quote]Seems like rather a moot point.

No, it's not rather a moot point. A "child sex cult" would be a cult that exists solely for the purpose of child sex. That wasn't the case. So I thought maybe some people would like that to be clarified.

[quote] an insight to what he could’ve became.

Oh, dear.

[quote] this was before the paparazzi had became ubiquitous

Oh, dear!

R168, didn’t you even read r161?

[quote] He also had been throwing tantrums in the years leading to his death like screaming at his agents and friends and throwing cell phones out of car windows.

This is where this story loses its credibility. Cell phones were not ubiquitous in 1993 as they are today.

Now before some nitpicking queen says “Cell phones were invented in 1867, so he [italic]could’ve[/italic] done that, I don’t mean that.

What I mean is these items were so relatively rare that the idea that someone back then was “throwing them out of car windows” enough to have it mentioned is odd. And if they were in a car, back then they were installed in the car, not portable. It just seems like the writer is giving a 2021 definition of a tantrum, not a 1993 version.

Not sure if the one poster is a pedo/perv or on the autism spectrum?

Mathis was probably in the bathroom doing lines of coke, I mean innocently touching up her lipstick. She did date some hot 90’s actors, though, with Christian Slater, River, Johnny, etc.

R186, Leo is lying and he actually said He’s so river at a party in the Hollywood hills home wearing a mask looking very pale he didn’t get a chance to talk to him. River had a tan because he had been in the Utah desert for eight weeks. Leo I just completed a job with Johnny Depp. Leo is lying like so many others in this story

I would love for them to do a movie about him someday. Surprised Leo isn’t trying to do one.

R195, is English your second language?

WTF?

Who wants to see a movie about a drug-addicted junkie who killed himself with an overdose?

(R198) I’m much rather see that then another fucking movie about Princess Diana.

Well, you do have a point there.

[quote]Leo is lying and he actually said He’s so river at a party in the Hollywood hills home

Was "He's So River" a companion series to "That's So Raven"?

The guy was raped when he was a preschooler. The lack of empathy on this thread is depressing and disturbing. What is it that makes people react this way?

Lots of DLers are miserable cunts who have had unfulfilling lives.

He starred in the Mosquito Coast which is the one movie that he related to in his personal/family life which I find interesting.

[quote] The guy was raped when he was a preschooler. The lack of empathy on this thread is depressing and disturbing.

I'm a little confused. You're saying that because someone was raped as a preschooler, we have to feel sorry for him for the rest of his life no matter what he does? Does that extend to anyone who was raped as a preschooler, or it is just for pretty young movie stars you happen to particularly like?

[quote]Most people abuse mind altering substances to combat emotional pain and trauma . AA and other twelve step programs will convince you it’s all your fault , and you’re powerless,and you will die if you leave the program. Thoughts?

My thoughts are that you are the Nutso Anti-AA Troll, OP.

Why am I not surprised?

[quote]Technically, I think it was suicide.

Technically, I think it was MURDER!

I blame Johnny Depp.

Hi confused asshole at R205, I’m not a Phoenix fan. I have sympathy for the guy for finding emotional relief in mind-numbing substances, subsequent to his horrific abuse as a child. Sorry I don’t think he was a worthless piece of trash who deserved to die for the crime of being an addict, like you and half the posters in this thread seem to.

R150- RHCP was the druggiest band in history? Our ex-drummer, Steven Adler would like a word.

No one but he and the rapist knows if he was raped. River was known for saying outrageous and confusing things in interviews because he wanted to be an enigma.

R208 I'm sure there are mournful River Phoenix fan forums somewhere you can join.

r205 ladies, ladies! Both of you are assholes. You can have empathy for an extreme abusive situation like that, and understand it can lead to extremely abusive behaviour, even when the person has more life control as an adult.

OTOH, that doesn't make the person a saint, and someone with resources has a better chance of getting help. It might only partially be as a result of trauma that they chose to live on the edge. Also, there's often an emotional transference onto tragic figures from those who suffer, which clouds the realities on the ground.

But they have stuff hidden at their houses R170, not only them but the who keep them employed, but who will ever step up and investigate such people?

No one!

Did the poster who suggested that it was deliberate ever come back with a suggested motive, as promised?

Yes R214, RP was a competitor to Depp.

Thanks, R215.

Someone else suggested Halloween blood sacrifice. Who knows. Very sad, short life.

It’s funny how nobody famous ever dies by accident or naturally. There’s always some conspiracy. Yet in reality lots of people die from overdoses and plane and car crashes…

Can you really dissolve 8x the lethal amount of coke and 4x the lethal amount of Heroin in a "Dixie Cup"?

Considering the lethal amount of some drugs could fit on the head of a pin, it’s not too surprising.

The parents did not press criminal charges because the defense of anybody charged, would have been to bring out lots and lots of ugly facts about the wretched mess their son was in the last months and weeks of his life, which very likely included some ugly evidence about his ingestion and his condition on the night in question. They still had Phoenix to turn out for profit, and didn't want those ugly facts out there.

There's been lots and lots of fiction spun about that night, including by Samantha Mathis, who changed her story. It would be interesting to know why. Murdered by a Lethal load in a Dixie cup, my ass. River Phoenix may have been pushed over the edge after Hoovering something down, but it wasn't TEN TIMES THE LETHAL DOSE IN A PAPER CUP. It was something extra he eagerly snarfed on top of whatever he was already carrying, which was a lot. Accidental OD, happens every day.

What was her original story, R220?

The investigation report quoted Samantha Mathis as telling deputies she heard that someone gave River something to calm him down, and that she assumed it to be Valium [Valium was indeed one of the things in his system per the tox report]. She was also quoted as telling deputies she had no awareness of drug use by him.

Fast forward a couple of decades and now it's about how she "knew something was wrong that night" and how River was really high that night in a way that made her so uncomfortable. . . .

There’s some celebrity autopsy show on one of the streamers, I think Amazon, that while low market seemed to actually be accurate and authoritative information.

The autopsy/coroner report is readable online. It includes the autopsy done right after the death, a police investigative report, and a toxicological report dated a couple weeks after the death. The police investigative report is short, probably because it was ruled an accidental overdose and they didn't pursue it as a homicide investigation. The police investigative report does note repeatedly with dry understatement that numerous friends present at the Viper Room that night, plus family members, showed up at Cedars but vanished quickly after death was pronounced and police arrived, and did not speak to police or return calls.

The police noted that they were told at the scene that River Phoenix had been "speedballing" before he started convulsing. That's before the tox report two weeks later listed large amounts of coke and heroin in his bloodstream. So, duh.

There's also the whole issue that River Phoenix lay on the pavement convulsing for nearly half an hour with Rain sitting on his legs and Joaquin unwilling to get anyone any bad PR, before Joaquin called 911. Supposedly a Hollywood paparazzo type named Ron Davis insisted to Joaquin that he must call. And "Valium" was the only drug Joaquin disclosed mentioned to 911 when they asked. So . . . fatal delay and no Naloxone. They were kids. But it's all awful.

R180 I Googled it, and Anthony Fox is still listed as a missing person.

R221, see r26.

If an ambulance had been called when he first started vomiting and passing out and having breathing problems he probably would have lived. But that is something druggies do NOT want to do; call an ambulance. They try to take care of the OD themselves, just like they did with River Phoenix. The singer Gram Parsons died in this same way. He went on a drug binge and was losing consciousness, turning blue. Two groupies were with him. Instead of calling an ambulance they attempted to revive him by shoving ice cubes up his ass. It DID revive him, briefly. He laid down on a bed; on of the groupies went out for food and coffee and the other stayed with him. She sat there with him while he was dying on the bed. He was 26 when he died. Another senseless drug death.

[quote] If an ambulance had been called when he first started vomiting and passing out and having breathing problems he probably would have lived.

We have no way of knowing that, and it’s highly unlikely. He ingested (one way or another) eight times the lethal dose. He was a goner right from the start.

r225 they didn't have naloxone in those days.

r228 it's unlikely with the double depressant combo (opioid & valium). Even with a stimulant (cocaine) it probably wouldn't have been enough. And in defense of the groupies, IIRC, there were quite a few celebrity ODs reversed by ice, in the ass or otherwise. Parsons was hell bent on self-destruction. He likely would've killed himself another way (alcohol, car crash) even if he never touched drugs.

[quote} Parsons was hell bent on self-destruction. He likely would've killed himself another way (alcohol, car crash) even if he never touched drugs.

Maybe. But if the dumbass groupies who were with him had called for medical assistance it's highly possible he would have survived that overdose.

How does ice in the ass reverse an opoid overdose?

That's how the antivaxx movement started.

R218, certainly! Powdered coke and powdered brown heroin . In fact, The coroner wanted to do a further autopsy on the brown liquid in River’s stomach. The coroner was very suspicious of this overdose. Mrs. phoenix immediately said no and had River promptly cremated.

[quote] How does ice in the ass reverse an opoid overdose?

It supposedly wakes up the druggie from their drug coma. That's the objective; to keep the person awake. If they're allowed to remain unconscious they probably won't come back from that.

R230 The paramedic who attended to River and was later interviewed said that he was not told he had taken anything outside of a valium. If they had known he had possibly taken a toxic level of recreational drugs they could have given him an injection (I don't recall of what) that would have stabilized him until they reached the hospital.

R236, Joaquin kept insisting That River was a diabetic. .. River in fact, did take a Valium that was prescribed to him after panicking over the liquid poisonous drink. Why did Joaquin lie? He sounded hysterical and distraught in the 911 call, Who is putting the pressure on him to lie ?

After he started freaking out from the speedball somebody gave him Valium "to calm him down." Drugs on top of more drugs. No ambulance called. He didn't have a chance.

R238, River had a prescription bottle of Valium due to his already anxiety prone sensitive nature . I think the cocaine completely numbed his mouth, tongue and throat and it also must’ve tasted terrible with the heroin ,and after he vomited, he said “something is wrong.” River vomited at least two more times according to witnesses, which means there was even more cocaine and Persian brown heroin in cup. Frusciante and possibly others wanted River dead!

r239 He probably said something is wrong, because he was a hard core druggie. He would be used to the speedball, but he wasn't reacting the way he normally did-either due to dosage or contaminant. I think JF gave him a high dose b/c River was trying to cut down while working, and JF thought he was jonesing (classic junkie logic).

In those days, being in that scene was like climbing Everest. You can be all collegial at Base Camp, but it's everyone for themselves on the summit attempt. It's out of survival as much as anything. This is one of the unlikely survivors, Al Jourgensen, talking about that night before he himself got out of the scene. Starts @ c.1:23 in, but all interesting.

R240, Al implicates Depp who lied about even knowing River was the one overdosing outside club.

Thanks guys for all the contributions to this thread. I have learned a lot.

Joaquin was fighting with the doorman--as in, arguing, not punching. The doorman was yelling at Joaquin, Samantha Mathis, and whoever the other kid was with them when they walked River out onto the sidewalk. The doorman was yelling at them to call 911 immediately. And Joaquin/Samantha were arguing back, that River would be fine. That's the real cover-up about that night, not a ludicrous fantasy about murder in a paper cup--they didn't want to call, because they didn't want movie careers ruined or bad PR to get out. Of course, they changed their minds after he'd convulsed for nearly half an hour. But by then it was too late. Maybe nothing could have been done, but . . .

It’s lame when people try to argue Leo DiCaprio wouldn’t have a career if River hadn’t died. Why don’t people ever apply that argument to Joaquin?

Leo Dicaprio would've had the same career. River Phoenix would've been too old for the roles Leo did in the 90s.

r243 so the doorman couldn't call, or get someone else on staff to call? It's ridiculous the doorman was fighting over that. He could've called or told another staffer to go in and do it. (I assume fewer mobiles in those days.) Depp was an owner. He was trying to get all the users out on the street & the club.

I don’t think phoenix’s career was looking so bright in 93. I wonder if he’s more likely to have gone the way of Christian slater than Johnny depp. I imagine he had a few more good roles left in him, but I think they would have been few and far between.

Depp was onstage, like Gibby Haynes and that Ministry guy. There WAS a second caller. Not sure if it was the doorman/bouncer, or that reporter Ron Davis. And not sure whether the other caller was slightly before Joaquin, slightly after, or around the same point.

Samantha talks about what happened 25 years after River’s death . The “ other man” she is referring to is Fruciante. Samantha was frantic and said to call 911, and John F said “ shut up you’re spoiling his high.” Samantha yelled back and this is very telling “ what did you do, what are you on?” She witnessed the fabulous drink incident at the booth . She feels guilty.

Bump

Where are his dick pics? Probably uncut and cheesy, but it would nice to know for sure.

Not saying she was speed-balling that night, but she was partying and high with the rest of them and like River and his siblings, didn't want to call out the cavalry when they first took him outside. She, like the others, gave the police a story, a very short story, and then refused to speak further. Decades later, she's got a whole new story arc to put out there.

The autopsy report contradicts all the lies coming out of the Viper 🐍 Room .

Was Courtney Love there?

People need to accept River was a drug addict. People who were close to him knew like Martha Plimpton. River was a child actor with little to no supervision. His parents were lazy bums. He was exposed to drugs, sex, parties and all that jazz at an impressionable age. People who said he never did drugs likely did not know him that well. How many colleagues do we have that we would never have imagined were abusing hard drugs? High-functioning addicts exist. By 1991, he was no longer high-functioning and delve deeper and deeper into drugs. Poor guy clearly had depression. His life sucked and anyone in his position probably would have gotten onto drugs or just killed themselves. He did seem to have a death wish.

R245 They have nothing in common besides being blond and pretty. River had this shy, manic energy and depth. Leo always had this cocky smartass attitude. I find River the more convincing actor despite his short career. Leo stopped trying sometime in the early 2000s and keeps getting worse.

Whoever put that drink together wanted him to go. And in a drink RP wouldn't know what amount he was ingesting. If JF gave him this drink and actively prevented first aid measures, very good chance he probably knew there was many times the lethal dose in that cup.

Again, this happened at Depp's club, he and RP had similar looks and cornered the same market. JF and Depp were good friends and on that night RP even wanted to steal Depp's spotlight as a guitarist.

The coroner's report didn't say he died from "a drink." It also didn't say he died from dark liquid that was in his stomach. It said he died from an accidental drug overdose and that multiple substances were in his bloodstream including large amounts of cocaine and morphine (heroine).

The "murder in a paper cup" thing is an urban myth that's been handy to grab onto for people who can't face the fact that in the last year, months, weeks, days, and hours of his life, he was a complete, downward-spiraling mess. He didn't go to the VR with Samantha Mathis or his sibs. He met them there, and where he was beforehand was drug-bingeing with Frusciante. Multiple eyewitnesses said that when he and Frusciante walked into the VR that night they were so messed up they couldn't walk straight and could barely stay upright. At minimum, these witnesses include, the bartender, an Entertainment Monthly writer who was there, and Bob Forrest of Thelonius. More than one witness said he was in and out of the mensroom with a drug dealer. One witness, I think it was the bartender, used the word "constantly," as in "constantly" back and forth to the restroom.

R254 if Courtney were there, she'd never stop talking about it.

The drink story developed in part because per the autopsy he had no needle marks and it mentions "dark fluid" found in his stomach. He had no alcohol in his system and the stomach contents included a lot of cocaine and a much smaller amount of morphine. So as the story around what happened in the club changed, a version developed where he was unknowingly given a mix of cocaine and heroin in a speedball as some kind of drink. But it's just as likely he snorted one or both. He was already high as fuck going into the Viper room, and there's no reason to believe he took the entire lethal dose in one shot (they were also detected in his blood and urine). I suspect so many people were conditioned to protect the River myth that they just adjusted their story (and maybe even their memories) accordingly.

R258,That’s a fucking lie!!!

Christina Applegate is interesting. She probably has tea on a lot of people from the late 80s and 90s scene. I figure if she lives to be Quincy Jones age, she will stop giving a fuck and tell it all. I've always liked her though: beautiful, intelligent, funny and a total badass.

An autopsy would have been able to determine if he snorted or drank the drug cocktail. If I he had several times the lethal dose in his system I doubt he snorted it all, unless he wanted to off himself.

R262, no. His autopsy is public record. It does not state how he ingested any of the drugs in his system.

[quote]Scott Carrier, a spokesman for the coroner's office, said toxicological tests had found not only the deadly levels of cocaine and morphine but also traces of marijuana, the prescription sedative Valium and an over-the-counter cold medication. Mr. Carrier said that it was not known how Mr. Phoenix had taken the cocaine and morphine but that no needle marks had been found on his body.

[quote]Mr. Carrier, as well as experts on drugs, said that because of differing individual tolerances to drugs, it was impossible to determine how long before Mr. Phoenix died he had taken the morphine and cocaine that killed him, or exactly how much he had taken. As for how Mr. Phoenix had taken the drugs, Mr. Carrier said: "There were no needle marks. Maybe it was ingested, maybe it was inhaled. How it was introduced into his body is unknown at this time."

You are right R244, DiCaprio had already shot Gilbert Grape by the time Phoenix died.

He was Brilliant in that role, I'm not a fan but he's obviously a talented actor and would've had the same career in case River Phoenix was still alive, for example Chris O'Donnell had a much greater career than DiCaprio until the 1st semester of 1997, and now O'Donnell is C-list while Leonardo is permanently A-list.

R260 you can read the whole report online. It's not hidden information. The report noted a few cc's of a "dark liquid" in his stomach. But it nowhere said he died from said dark liquid or from drinking said dark liquid. It said he died from an accidental drug overdose and large amounts of cocaine and morphine (the med report word indicating heroine) were present in his bloodstream. On top of which, police and fire (paramedic) reports from that night stated that they were told at the scene he had been "speedballing." They didn't report being told he was murdered with a Dixie cup.

R265, the coroner suspected foul play and wanted to test the liquid in his tummy . River’s so called mother refused and promptly had him cremated. There was a hesitancy to make the 911 call as the group were more worried about their reputation than River’s life. Frusciante killed River intentionally, with serious malice . His friends helped cover it up with mendacious lies about River .

It took about 40 minutes for the liquid speedball in a cup to kill River. If he had injected that amount or snorted , he would have died instantly.

]]]the coroner suspected foul play and wanted to test the liquid in his tummy [[[

Where is this documented? Answer: The Urban Legend Underground.

Read the autopsy!

Read this quick interview with Peter . He directed river and Samantha in “That Thing Called Love.” Peter also doubts the fake narrative coming out of the 🐍 Room. “I think someone slipped him something lethal… I suspect foul play his last day.” “ I think envy killed him.”

R266 the toxicology report includes the contents of his stomach. Stop with your bullshit.

R271, River was on location in Utah for 8 weeks . He was clean during shoot. He arrived back in Los Angeles late Thursday, had Friday off and worked all day Saturday. The director of Dark Blood his last movie, arranged for a brunch with River and Terry Gilliam whom River deeply admired. River was super excited to meet Gilliam on Halloween morning. He remained clean at Viper , no alcohol. River wanted to be straight for his meetup .

Frusciante at Viper Room several years after River’s death . He’s loaded as fuck and he said something pretty suspicious about River dying .

You've already been caught lying on this thread R272, time to give it a rest.

R274, you are the liar! Are you Fruscisnte ?

Go to 3:40 mark to hear his thoughts on River’s death.

If you block the conspiracy theorist, over 30 posts disappear. Poster is a bit obsessed.

Yeah no surprise, jealousy was involved in his death.

We'll never know if the lethal dose of drugs in the drink was gross negligence on behalf of Frusciante or a willful act.

R279, who the hell drinks cocaine? Most junkies scoff at snorting or smoking heroin .

"Someone slipped him something lethal" . . . . . IS the "fake narrative."

It could have been a gay sex cover up or sexual jealousy.

River was said to be very bicurious by more than one person.

Some have speculated that John who is admitted bisexual crushed on River and it was not reciprocated.

I could well believe that RP died as a result of accidental overdose, but I don't believe it was murder. Why on earth would Frusciante want to kill him?

River had been clean for some months and had not eaten much during filming of Dark Blood, it would not have been difficult for him to OD by accident.

R286 I think he was doing drugs at the time of filming Dark Blood. That is where the Judy Davis hate comes from because apparently he wasn't very professional on the set and she told him off (which would not be pleasant). Not that Davis having a go at him caused the overdose in anyway but indulging in drugs, booze or whatever and not putting 100% into work is not going to go unnoticed and really annoy others.

Just ask Tony Curtis if he was still alive about the making of Some Like It Hot.

R287, Jonathan Price has something to say to you . Dark Blood was a cast consisting of 3 people. They spent significant amounts of time with each other.

R286, the amount of drugs in River’s system would have literally killed a small horse.

Or a large dog.

Or a lot of hamsters.

Or an average-sized human.

River was the oldest of his siblings he would have the most memories of being The Children of God cult. Jaoquin and Rain were very small when the family left, so they wouldn't remember all the damaging stuff like prostitution and ritualized child rape. Hell, River probably had a different father because The Children of God encourage their adult female members to proselytize by having sex with strange men and he may have been sexually abused as well. Also, River being the oldest was also burdened with the pressure to support the family. He was a beautiful child with charisma and liked to sing and play instruments. So River was on the streets of various Latin American countries, busking for money with the addition of raising his siblings, as the parents were neglectful. Also, the more likely reason the Phoenix family became vegetarian was due to their poverty, meat would be too expensive, so a plant-based diet would save them money.

When his family got to The US and the parents pushed River into acting, he felt burdened to continue it to support his large family, his parents were still bums and he had several younger siblings he to take care of. By the time of "A Thing Called Love" and "Dark Blood", he was completely burnt out, deep into a drug addiction and was becoming unprofessional. He was also hanging out with other junkies like Depp, Flea, John Frusciante, etc. He needed serious years of therapy because of his PTSD but his mother did not give a shit. His mom still pushes the River Phoenix mythology making him out to be this near-perfect saint who was unfairly taken from the world. Both Martha Plimpton and Samantha Manthis, former girlfriends, in interviews voiced their opinions on the matter. They said River was deeply messed up from his childhood and while had a good heart, he was still a drug addict and was too immature and stubborn to get help. They also voiced irritation at how River was deified after his death. I imagine, River's mom also refused to acknowledge her son's addiction because it would ruin his wholesome image. The fact that his parents did not demand a more thorough investigation or wanted to press charges makes them look suspect.

The Phoenix family is still deeply fucked up. Only Rain seems to be the most well-adjusted and she's still a bit off.

[quote] River, Jaoquin and Rain

SMDH.

Rain is a cold, phony , traitorous cunt

I still have a hard time believing the whole "Dixie cup speedball" narrative: "Drink this, Riv!" Said John Frusciante "It'll make u feel faBULous!!"

he was handsome and talented but he couldn't live forever

Just like Monroe, Dean, Cobain, Hendrix and others who died super young. So many posthumous accounts of River and many claiming to be there the night he die. Many claiming to have known him, who he was fucking, who had it out to get him, etc. Who really knows what to believe. Even his family is so dishonest about him. Joaquin is very private and never exploited his brother's death. Heart, the mother and Rain run this charity organization in River's name and keep the fairy tale myth alive.

I think Gus Van Sant got Joaquin back into acting because of To Die For. Probably begged Joaquin in fact.

R296, River had no injections from needle marks. His nostrils were clear , so no snorting drugs. You have to ask yourself, or especially a junkie if they would ever willingly drink a fucking speedball?

[quote]His nostrils were clear , so no snorting drugs.

You made that up. The autopsy was inconclusive as to how all the drugs got in his system, and just as importantly WHEN he took all those quantities.

[quote]You have to ask yourself, or especially a junkie if they would ever willingly drink a fucking speedball?

JFC, how stupid are you? Who the fuck do you think speedballs are for? Hardcore users, a.k.a. JUNKIES.

It's very possible River wasn't aware or wasn't prepared for the amount of drugs he drank/swallowed or otherwise ingested in the Viper Room, but you have to be a complete idiot to assume he'd NEVER drink a speedball. Even if you believe the version of the story kindest to him, he downed the contents of a cup that was handed to him BY A FELLOW JUNKIE without knowing or asking what was in it. Clearly not someone too worried or thinking clearly about what he was ingesting at the moment.

People forget that River was 23. Still a young guy, so impulsive and stubborn. He wasn't this wise soul, he was a kid raised by hippies who taught him to speak in mystical mumbo-jumbo. He sounded more mature than he was. I like him as an actor and he was extremely good-looking and talented but people need to get he was a human being and just as stupid as everyone else on this planet. He made a mistake that cost him his life. It's scary to accept because it reminds us of our own mortality that can come from errors.

The whole thing at the Viper Room sounds just so...stupid. All those young people there, getting blasted out of their minds on whatever they could lay their hands on. What a cesspool. Was hanging out there supposed to be be FUN? Sounded more like desperation than fun.

Were River and Keanu ever together as a couple? My Own Private Idaho created some rumors due to their chemistry.

River Phoenix stans are annoying. They act like being a blonde twink is so unique.

R298 Joaquin had no problem exploiting River when it was time to campaign for an Oscar.

Has there been a tallying of the number of people who died at The Viper Room or shortly after being there over all the years?

Depp's publicist is getting angry that the murder rumors don't quiet down.

Well, maybe if people start talking about Depp's rumored murders again the wife-beating story will die down a bit.

No one drinks cocaine and heroin.

R309 Why not?

Who here ever visited the Viper Room back in the day? Please spill your tea. What was it like? Why did people go there, just to be seen or was it fun?

[quote]Who here ever visited the Viper Room back in the day? Please spill your tea.

Or your small Dixie cup of liquid.

R288 What Pryce says, well, he admits he didn't know anything about drug users.

Also, after River's passing Pryce wanted the cast and crew to join hands and same some prayers or think of River or something like that. Judy Davis apparently scoffed at that - I agree with her views. If people want to do that fine, but for don't try and get other people to join in if they think it is a whole lot of nonsense.

Some drug users are VERY GOOD at hiding their habits. And let's face it River was not going to be indulging in front of others on the set. 100% committed, yeah sure, but not able to deliver. Pryce is a pompous twit - always has been.

Has anybody actually seen the film?

A number of years ago it was assembled from footage shot with stills and voice over to fill in the gaps. It was really nothing more than a curiosity and had River not died it would have done nothing to progress his career.

I forget what it was called then, but you can see the interior of the club in the movie Valley Girl, during the scene where the Plimsouls are performing.

R310, are you that daft?

R315 yes I am. Never doing drugs has made me daft. Could you answer the question please?

[quote]No one drinks cocaine and heroin.

Correct, that's why the rumour persists that he was killed.

If you're fucked up on drugs, or even drinking, do you really know anything you're doing? How much do you usually remember the next day? And people are asking us to believe some drugged up person/persons deliberately murdered someone with a drink? "Why would anyone give him that lethal amount/combination?" Because they probably didn't bring their measuring cup! Oh, and I know - let's commit that murder in a public place, a nightclub, where a hundred people saw us do it. No problem.

R318, is an ignorant fuck.

Viper Room is a club with a very dark ambience . It would be very easy to slip someone a “ hot shot”. The people were fixated on the band playing . Fruciante struck while the iron was hot . Interesting that the cameras were not working that night . More will be revealed.

Rona Barrett is on the case!

I wish Dominick Dunne was alive .

[quote] Why would anyone give him that lethal amount/combination?" Because they probably didn't bring their measuring cup!

Or, the amount he was given only became lethal when combined with what he already had in his system.

They are were still young too. He was 23.

r317 JFC. Both were hard core addicts. They deliberately chase "the good shit" aka whatever is the strongest, purest substance that gives the greatest high. They're famous entertainers, so people hand you shit all the fucking time in that world-plus you can afford the good stuff. They were young and at the wild stage of addiction, not the maintain and survive until they can crawl themselves out stage.

JF likely made the mistake a lot of people, even non-addicts, make: it's not the poison(s), it's the dose. In his addled state, stronger, and more is better. If River was cutting down or trying to get off the hard stuff entirely, then it's even more deadly. That's what killed Janis Joplin.

Imagine if Johnny Depp died in 1993 rather than River. JD would be deified as he was at the peak of his beauty and was known for his quirky roles. Instead of being seen as a creep now.

I don't think River would be an A-lister like Leo is. He wasn't interested in that anyway, River would still do his music and just do small indie roles. Probably move towards Steve Buscemi or Crispin Glover territory. That's if he could recover from his addiction. I also don't think River would let himself go like Leo or make himself ugly like Joaquin either. He probably still be cute like Ethan Hawke.

R325, Is a damage control poster working for Red Hot 🌶 🫑 . Don’t get it twisted .

What's sad is that River is somewhat forgotten. Maybe because he never made any really great movies, or iconic movies, other than Stand By Me, I guess, and he was a child then. But he's no legend. Unfortunately.

My Own Private Idaho is still highly regarded though by art film fanatics. Dogfight was underrated imho. I agree he's an icon not a legend.

R328, River had an luminous spirit , something you lack entirely

River would have excelled If he was not snuffed out

River Phoenix stans act like he cured cancer.

R328 Disagree. River was featured twice in this Oscar montage a few years ago.

I was there in '95, R311. It was full of tragic hipsters, but didn't witness any backroom/bathroom debauchery. Depp was still involved, that night was one of his faves, the then-recently-resurrected Dick Dale, but the people who were kind of making it their clubhouse around the time of the River incident had moved on by then to other drug dens.

Thanks R334!

[quote] I agree he's an icon not a legend.

A legend to me! The Gen X James Dean. There's students of the 27 club out there.

I don't know what his career trajectory would have been like but there's no reason he couldn't have done Leo roles. Is Joaquin propelled slightly by his brother's tragic fame? Joaquin has 3 Oscar best actor noms, 1 win. Don't see why River wouldn't have managed one if he'd wanted.

I don’t see him in Leo’s roles honestly. I wonder if he would have been a muse to someone like Scorsese- I doubt that. I do think he would have had a few come backs though and then faded again into character parts. I see him more following a trajectory like willem dafoe in interesting films playing interesting character parts and probably eventually racking up more best supporting actor nominations and a possible win. I wonder if he would have become a muse to someone like Lars von trier.

River would have been too old for Basketball Diaries (though he would have done better than Leo who had one of the worst NYC accents ever) and he would have been too old for Titanic (it was about two teens in puppy love). I think River would have gotten roles for Cusack, Depp and Pitt.

The thing about Leonardo Dicaprio is that he always reads "California" no matter what role he's playing. No matter where his character is supposed to be from, he's very California in everything he does.

[quote] A legend to me! The Gen X James Dean. There's students of the 27 club out there.

I guess Heath Ledger is the Millennial James Dean in terms of his popularity and tragic death. Technically Paul Walker died similarly to Dean but he was never taken seriously as an actor and had no iconic roles despite the revisionist history. Brad Renfo is all but forgotten but Bully, The Client and Apt Pupil were memorable.

Ledger was Gen X.

He was not Gen X.

So, I guess the blood libel prophecy of him rising from the dead 28 years later turned out to be a fluke. But there’s always next year, or more likely the 30 year point.

Heath Ledger was Gen X (you could argue Xennial) technically but he became famous in the late 90s and 2000s. He was icon to Millennials who the oldest were teens and young adults in the late 90s and early 2000s. Paul Walker was also Gen X but became really popular in the 2000s, so famous among Milllennials. You don't need to be in the same generation an icon among a young generation. Madonna, Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Prince, etc are all Baby Boomers (born before 1965) but associated with Gen X.

R343, ? Explain. River was truly a genuine, inherently good man.

Heheh R332 it's worse than that, there's a message board/newspost that was already around in 1992 and has it's posts from November of 1993 still archived and readable....

The fangirls at the time sad he hadn't died of drug overdose because he didn't do drugs.... Well, he didn't do drugs because he was A HEALTHY VEGETARIAN... yup, they were THAT stupid

Going by the evidence, R308, it was Heard who was doing the beating. Depp's only crime seems to be sending strongly worded texts to his pals and pissing off Trumptards because he cracked a joke about Donald Trump.

If anything, since the evidence has been made public, his popularity has shot up. He's got a lot of public support.

[quote] and has it's posts from November of 1993

Oh, dear.

I hope something bad happens to Depp

Johnny seems borderline with depression and Amber is a narcissistic sociopath. Bad mix. I don't think Depp saw River as competition and he had no reason to kill him. In order for someone to be competition, they would need to share your ambitions. Depp was more ambitious while River was just trying to fulfill his contractual obligations. Depp finished filming What's Eating Gilbert Grape and was working on Ed Wood which substantially helped him gain critical praise and be taken seriously. It's not known if River would have sought out many roles, he seemed over Hollywood and only kept acting to support his family.

Frusciante murdered River, Depp and others helped with the coverup .

It was an overdose.

Kill him again if it would end this stupid thread.

R352 an overdose literal hot shot in a cup . No one drinks a speedball period!

I’m hearing a documentary is in the works . The truth will come out eventually

[quote]The truth will come out eventually.

Maybe in another 28 years?

No statue of limitations on homicide. The cops did not pursue this case back in 93 because Hollywood stopped it . Can’t lie as easily today . Public records such as autopsy report etc are out now .

The 🌶 🫑 are going on tour next year with Frusciante on lead guitar 🎸.

It was murder, Depp and Frusciante wanted RP out of the way.

R357, Why would Hollywood stop it? River wasn't that big of a star.

He actually was r360, as was Depp and the Peppers

[quote] If anything, since the evidence has been made public, his popularity has shot up. He's got a lot of public support.

What the hell makes you think that? He's been revealed as an abusive asshole and some rich prick who spends money like water ($30,000 on wine alone). You may love him, but he's not swimming in "public support." Far from it.

Why can a star never die accidentally or from suicide, there’s always got to be murder or conspiracy involved. I went through a period in the 90s of a delayed grief for river. I sought out all his movies and read all his interviews and even became vegan. Never once did it occur to me that he may have been intentionally murdered. It’s always seemed more likely to have been an accidental overdose. Myself, I’m always surprised I haven’t ended up in hospital, in my days of partying I could have easily mixed alcohol and medications for example without thinking. I’m sure these things do happen often.

Also I do not see Johnny and river competing for parts. Perhaps “Gilbert grape” was the kind of role river was known for, but none of Johnny’s other roles really suited river. Likewise I couldn’t see depp in “running on empty” or “my own private Idaho”. While I liked river it does seem he was none too bright, or perhaps simply suffered from what we all do as young people- the feeling that we can survive pretty much anything. Also sounds like perhaps there was a slightly self destructive side to him at that point probably due to stress. Either way I doubt he intended to die, I believe it was purely accidental.

Maybe the childhood sex abuse had something to do with it, just a wacky thought I’m throwing out there

Or maybe it was “stress”.

My dearest Jealous Millenial bitches- Drugs, drug dens, and partying was off the hook in the early 90’s. Most clubs only had cameras trained on the cash booth, cellphone cameras didn’t exist, and you were not allowed to bring cameras or recorders into clubs. The drugs were also made in smaller batches or imported from Europe- more bouncy and softer, and people had ongoing relationships with the same dealer every week and knew what they were taking, Most drugs today come from industrial labs in Mexico, or are cut with synthetics from China. They are hard edged, and pass through too many hands to trust them.

It was a vibe that can never exist today. Also, it’s likely every single witness that night was high themselves and their testimony is shaky at best or they could be easily persuaded to say they saw differently right after the event.

R365 I agree. We don't really have that social culture or sense of community anymore. Social media and smartphones made us antisocial and narcissistic

Big nothing

😆😆😆

I'm going to second you on that "Oh, dear." motherfucker R348 😂

Documentary coming out soon . Time will tell . We have the patience of Job

You clearly haven't been following the case or have read the wealth of evidence against Amber Heard, R362, and he has a tremendous amount of public support. He draws crowds. The evidence is on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Him being rich or how much he spends on wine is of no relevance either.

She is on audio admitting to instigating violence against him and mocking him for not fighting her back. She is on another audio apologising for severing his finger. There is footage that proves she had no bruises on her face and the court admitted the photos she supplied of her "bruises" had been manipulated and were most likely staged. In one photo you can clearly see it's make-up. She lied about giving away her divorce settlement to charity. She lied about smuggling the dogs into Australia. The email she sent to her PR enquiring if she could find a vet to forge documents was leaked. The video she sold to TMZ was edited and the full version has since been released which shows Depp never assaulted her. The blackmail letter she sent him demanding $50k a month, three penthouses, several cars, etc., or she was going to tell everyone he hit her has been made public. She was screwing Elon Musk, Cara Delevingne and James Franco in their marital bed from the very start of their marriage. The text messages she sent him apologising for falsely accusing him of DV and that it was her lawyer's idea have since been made public. The texts messages her parents sent him apologising for their daughter's behaviour has been made public. Then there's the matter that she defecated in his bed, for a prank, and left it for the maid to clean up who she then screamed at and blamed her for destroying her marriage.

Have you been living under a rock? This has been in the public domain for some time now.

You're clearly ignorant on the subject so why comment? If you don't like him, then fair enough, but that doesn't make him a wife beater just because you don't like him and because you're jealous that he's rich (why else bring up his wealth?).

Nobody gives a shit about the Depp and Heard drama anymore. Depp is still getting roles and he easily can will a comeback. The only one harming his career is himself because he refuses to sober up. Also, Heard hurt her career the most actually. Everyone knows she is a crazy bitch now and she can't act, so she isn't in high demand for roles.

*can have a

To be fair, R371, I never actually brought up the Depp and Heard car crash marriage first. I was simply responding to R362's post. And you'd be surprised, but actually a lot of people do care about it. Lots of people have been following this on Twatter, YouTube, Facebook, etc.

Regardless, I don't believe Depp wanted River murdered. RP died from an overdose. Not everything is a conspiracy.

Why has hijacking one celebrity thread over another celebrity become such a default thing on DL lately?

Depp is done . He’s a relic now

r375 not if he gets his shit together and sobers up. Of all the up and coming actors I've seen clips of, no one has the charisma of the older guys. Depp is a personality, and IMHO you can't teach that. He's suited to the large BO character movies they make now, and he's done "smaller" drama. RDJ is the epitome of it, but Depp could have a good career, even at his age, because no one has filled the charisma/star void.

As to River, I don't think people realize the mentality of hard core junkies, or even hard partiers. I'm not dismissing foul play, but I think Ockham's Razor is much more likely.

R376 not a chance. Depp has tripled and then quadrupled down on his assholery. He's been in a worship bubble for so long he seems completely incapable of taking responsibility for anything. He'll ride his self-righteous disaster train until every aspect of his life is in ashes.

You’re hilarious if you think Depp has charisma . He’s a Dullard

Well it's nice that Depp has still some hardcore stans.

I never believed Samantha Mathis' claims that she "didn't know" about Phoenix's drug use. Apparently it was an open secret in Hollywood circles and there was gossip that he loved to do drugs off women's bodies are a precursor to sex.

Samantha Mathis made River promise to stay off the drugs when they started dating, she knew full well he was a user.

[quote] River had an luminous spirit , something you lack entirely

R330 Did you fail English?

River would never have gone down the tattoo path like Johnny Depp.

Tattoos are the least of Johnny's worries. There's also the green and yellow teeth, his bloated face, poor hygiene and runny eyeliner.

River would have loved the no bathing trend.

I agree with you R358

I saw Dogfight last night. That film came out in 1991. River looked so young, small, and delicate, even though he played a motormouthed extrovert. Completely different from his role in Idaho. He was extremely talented.

Wrong R387 he might have been talented,but he wasn't the next James Dean.

River was similar to James Dean. He even looked like him in MOPI. But Dean was ambitious and was looking to move into a Brando or Newman type of career. River wasn't that interested in acting. Music was his love. River was selective with his roles though and built a nice filmography before he died.

R387 I agree the role was very different to the others he played but the film turned out well. I always wondered if Ron eldard was considered for it, having worked with the director previously, but perhaps he was too old to play the character by that point. And I guess Phoenix was a bigger name.

[quote]River looked so young, small, and delicate

He was 5' 10" and I didn't think he looked small or delicate in that film.

River had some delicate facial features but he had also a muscular and athletic body and very hairy legs and arms. He was tall and masculine. His eyes also were intense, catlike. He looked angry a lot in the photoshoots he took. He wasn't androgynous like young RDJ, Rob Lowe, Depp or Leonardo DiCaprio were. He was boyish but not feminine looking.

He looked beautiful with short hair in Dogfight. His character was macho and rough on the surface but fragile and damaged on the inside. It's an obvious allegory to how most teen boys may be physically developed to fight in wars hence they get drafted. But are emotionally still immature and vulnerable. They are eager to prove their masculinity either through violent or sexual conquest. However they become victims of trauma and stunted emotionally from the horrors of the battlefield. The anti-war message was done quite beautifully. Especially in how it showed the aftermath. The young male soldiers were exploited by the country they served and returned to face mistreatment. In having to deal with mental illness and lack of empathy from others who accused them of being coldhearted murderers. They dealt with the culture shock of early 60s conservative America rapidly changing to the free-love counterculture of the late 60s.

I think he is very underrated in Sneakers and showed how he could have played more mainstream roles.

[quote] he had also a muscular and athletic body

I don’t see this. He was mostly skinny I would say with a musicians body. He was from the era before Hollywood became gym obsessed, in fact I don’t remember ever reading about his fitness routines like we do now about guys like hemsworth and evans… people just didn’t expect that from actors like him back then. Being a muscular actor was more of a joke, they were not looking like the gladiators or pro wrestlers back then.

[quote]The autopsy revealed that River had not snorted any drugs nor shot up through veins of muscle. Again, who drinks a speedball?

There are other ways to take drugs.

R395, That's because Evans and Hemsworth got big for superhero movies, I'm sure if Phoenix had lived in the time of superhero movies you would have heard about his fitness routine.

[quote]I'm sure if Phoenix had lived in the time of superhero movies you would have heard about his fitness routine.

Don't be so sure. Judging from the kinds of movies he did and parts he played, I doubt he would have been in superhero movies.

River had a charisma on and off screen that was alluring and powerful. A great light in him .

I wonder if that great light came out of him when he was projectile vomiting that night.

R400, his soul was untouched . I’m glad you brought up the repeated vomiting. When you DRINK heroin and cocaine at lethal X amounts , your body is prone to reject the poison that is administered all at once . Who the hell willingly drinks a speedball?!

*raises hand*

He looked sexy with short black hair in Dark Blood. It contrasted well with his green eyes

River looked good in Dark Blood .

On Reddit on the "Today I Learned" board, someone wrote "TIL that Joaquin Phoenix had an older brother River who died outside a nightclub..." We're gettin' old!

R397 No I think we still don’t hear much about fitness stuff from actors of that generation like depp… the focus was still on the parts they were playing and their acting. It’s since superhero movies and guys like Henry cavill and all the chrises came to prominence that the workout and whether they could get their body into shape became the most important thing.

Speaking of the differences, I imagine there’s plenty of young actors who would admit to wanting to be the new river Phoenix (in terms of acting). I doubt anybody ever says they want to be the next Chris evans/hemsworth or cavill. I think the measure of success has changed now along with the types of movie. Success was still based on critical acclaim in that era, now it’s based solely on box office.

[quote] it's the dose.

True. An acquaintance of mine who was a dentist got hooked on opioids. He went to rehab and got clean but soon relapsed and died from taking just a few pills.

I knew of someone who overdosed too after spending months being clean (and that was only due to probation). River was surrounded by fake, awful people who supplied him with drugs. Normally, it would easy to blame River but his upbringing and course of life is so far removed from normality. That I can't even blame him. He didn't have common sense or street smarts.

Elaine Welteroth of Project Runway follows Flea on Instagram.

R407/8. The autopsy showed no needle marks , no signs of inhaling drugs through his nose . The amount of drugs River had in his system was at least ( he vomited profusely) 8X the lethal amount.

R96 exactly. And not just smoking them. Curious this article about Plugging, reasons people do it and risks.

DRUG ADDICTS R401, is not like they have the sharpest brain, not to mention that as common as it is they're still like less than 12% of the human population.

R412, you’re a pathetic, ignorant hateful person.

Most Americans are addicts. Not just to marijuana, alcohol, heroin and fentanyl. Many are addicted to sugar, food, coffee, soda, the Internet, TV, social media, religion, etc. Life in The US has been on a sharp decline and it's becoming unbearable without being doped up on something.