A friend of DJ AM's was apparently so worried when the the celebrity disc jockey missed a flight out of town that he rushed to his SoHo apartment and discovered he was dead, a published report said.
Brooklyn actor Alex Burns knocked on the door of DJ AM's $2 million SoHo apartment on Friday night, but there was no answer, police sources told The Daily News. He asked the building's super to unlock the door, but the security chaing was latched inside and that's when they called the police.
DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, was found on his stomach in his bed wearing sweatpants and no shirt. When cops rolled him over, they found a near-empty bag of crack stuck to his chest. Police would not confirm to NBCNewYork that the bag of crack was stuck to Goldstein's body, however.
DJ AM 's body was released today from the New York City Medical Examiner's Office to a local funeral home TMZ reported.
Sources tell TMZ that his body may soon be sent to California for burial. The report came as family members and fans await the results of a toxicology report on his DJ AM's body after yesterday's autopsy proved inconclusive.
The details of the 36-year-old Goldstein's demise are still unclear, but police sources said investigators are looking into the possibility of a drug overdose, as drug paraphernalia was found nearby.
A crack pipe and multiple bottles of prescription pills, including anti-anxiety drug Xanax, were found in his apartment, law-enforcement sources told the News. Officially, there is no criminaility suspected.
The body of Goldstein was found on the seventh floor of an apartment building at 210 Lafayette Street, law-enforcement sources said. Authorities had to break down the door.
Goldstein had openly discussed past addictions to crack cocaine, Ecstasy and other drugs, addictions so bad he once tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head -- but the gun jammed. However, he claimed he had been drug-free for years, even swearing off cigarettes.
In a recent AP interview, he talked about holding a crack pipe for the first time in years for the show and said he felt as though he had an angel on his shoulder for surviving so much turmoil.
"There's no better way to remember what it was like when I was at my bottom than to see someone at their bottom,'' he told the AP.
His publicist, Jenny Weinman, later released a statement saying: "Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein was found deceased this afternoon in his New York City apartment. The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear. Out of respect for his family and loved ones, please respect their privacy at this time."
Goldstein, along with former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, barely escaped death in a small plane crash in South Carolina on Sept. 19, 2008. That incident left him badly burned, but four others died in the accident.
At the time, he told People magazine he was grateful to survive.
"I can't believe I made it,'' he said. "I've prayed every night for the past 10 years. There's a lot more to thank God for now. ... I was saved for a reason. Maybe I'm going to help someone else. I don't question it. All I know is I'm thankful to be here.''
Friends of DJ AM told The New York Post that he was having trouble coping with physical pain and stress from the plane crash he survived last year -- that he had been taking painkillers and developed an addiction, the paper reports.
Goldstein, originally from Philadelphia, was briefly engaged to reality TV star Nicole Richie in 2005. His girlfriend, model Hayley Wood, broke up with him last week, friends told TMZ.com, according to the Post. Pals of DJ AM told the Web site he was "completely devastated" over the separation.
He threw out the first pitch for a Mets game on August 23rd, and his last Twitter post on Aug. 25 said "New York, New York big City of dreams, but everything in new york ain't always what it seems."
According to Goldstein's MySpace page, he was supposed to be performing at the club Rain in Las Vegas Friday night.
Local
Barker's ex-wife, Playmate Shanna Moakler, wrote of DJ AM's death, also on Twitter. "My deepest condolences for DJ AM, you were a great artist and will be severely missed. My thoughts and Prayers to his family and friends," she said.
Goldstein, who battled drug-addiction, obesity and depression as a youth, was reportedly set to star in an MTV reality show about teen interventions.
MTV had reportedly shot eight episodes of "Gone Too Far," according to "Extra TV," which interviewed Goldstein in July. A rep for MTV had no comment as to whether the show will go on.
Extra reported that Goldstein took the upcoming project so seriously he even turned to his own blog, at djam.com/blog, in June to find people for the show.
As a kid “I heard the word fat floating in my head at all times," Goldstein told Glamour Magazine two years ago. "I was probably destined to be a drug addict. I grew up in Philadelphia with a father who seemed to hate me: The verbal abuse he subjected me to was unbelievably cruel. I would find out later that there was a good reason my father was so tortured -- he was secretly gay and addicted to drugs."
Goldstein rose to fame several years ago as highly sought-after DJ whose beats kept the dance floor packed and clubgoers hypnotized. He was known for his deft mashups, a blend of at least two songs, and performed not only in clubs but on grand stages, appearing earlier this year at the Coachella music festival in Indio, Calif.
He was to be one of the playable characters in Activision's "DJ Hero,'' a rhythm video game from the makers of ``Guitar Hero'' that uses a turntable-shaped controller. The game is set for release Oct. 27.
Goldstein's body was removed late Friday evening from his apartment by law enforcement officers, TMZ reported.
A rep for Goldstein's ex Mandy Moore released the following statement on behalf of the actress.
"I am absolutely heartbroken. For those of us lucky enough to have known him, Adam radiated a contagious exuberance for life and also personified the very definition of a true friend. To say that he will be missed beyond words is an understatement. My heart goes out to his loved ones."
Other celebrity friends voiced their emotions over Goldstein's death via Twitter:
John Mayer: In complete shock.
Lindsay Lohan: i can't believe this.. i'm in shock. why? why? r.i.p. adam.
Alyssa Milano: May you rest in peace, Adam. You touched many with your light and will be missed like crazy.
Ryan Seacrest: So sad the hear about adam. a very kind and generous guy.
Dr. Drew Pinksy: I lack the words to describe my feelings.
Ashton Kutcher: much love to my boy AM.
Soliel Moon Frye: Thank you for bringing so much music and inspiration to peoples lives. Rip Dj Am.
Heidi Montag: my thoughts and prayers are with DJ AM's family and friends.
Khloe Kardashian: Tell your loved ones you love them every chance you get. You never know when it will be the last time. God bless DJ AM. I love you.
Katy Perry: rest in peace friend.
