We had a nice day of remembering Philip Seymour Hoffman and what an amazing actor he was, but a day later, it seems it’s time everyone turns their attention to all the lurid details of his death. I admit, I can’t help wanting to know more myself. According to the latest reports, it seems Hoffman was found on the bathroom floor with a needle still in his arm by friends who went to check on him when he didn’t show up for a planned visit with his kids.
He was expected to get his children Sunday but didn’t show up, the official said. Playwright David Katz and another person went to the apartment and found him dead, the official said.
A needle was in the actor’s left arm, law enforcement sources told CNN. Police also found several empty bags branded “Ace of Hearts” — a street name for heroin — in the apartment, two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told CNN.
Also in the apartment were close to 50 envelopes, branded “Ace of Spades,” containing what is believed to be heroin, the two sources said.
Investigators also found, according to the two sources:
• More than 20 used syringes in a plastic cup.
• Several other bags containing white powder.
• Prescription drugs, including the blood-pressure medication clonidine hydrochloride; the addiction-treatment drug buprenorphine; Vyvanse, a drug used to treat attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder; hydroxyzine, which can be used to treat anxiety; and methocarbamol, a muscle relaxer. Authorities are investigating whether Hoffman had prescriptions for these drugs, the sources said.
Pretty awful stuff, all. TMZ reported that Hoffman had entered rehab last year after supposedly being clean 23 years. No one can really say whether this was a recent relapse or if it had been going on for a while, but it seems that the post-rehab relapse dose is often the fatal one. I’ve heard people speculate about this being a suicide attempt, but if that was true, why did he have all the extra heroin?
After he returned from rehab, Hoffman rented the apartment where his body was found Sunday, two neighbors said. The rest of his family lived elsewhere in the neighborhood. [CNN]
Meanwhile, following the initial outpouring of sympathy for a guy who was quite possibly our finest living actor, there seems to be an ugly, growing backlash that says “I don’t feel bad for that heroin addict,” or something to that effect. You can find one in almost every comments section on the subject (all the more reason to avoid comments sections). Certain celebrities even caught flack for insensitive tweets, including… Levar Burton?? Et tu, Geordi?
Burton’s were far from the worst examples, and not entirely untrue, but generally speaking, maybe wait a few days? Can the government establish a moratorium on think pieces following all beloved celebrity deaths? We all know heroin is bad. When the guy isn’t even in the ground yet, your hot take can probably wait.