When he passed away from a drug overdose outside a Los Angeles nightclub in 1993, Phoenix was a rising celebrity. At the time of his passing, he was there with his fiancée, starlet Samantha Mathis. She claims that aside from her therapist, she hasn’t discussed his passing.
Mathis claims that River and his siblings, which also included actor Joaquin Phoenix, were simply stopping by the West Hollywood establishment known as the Viper Room when River opted to play with some musicians and died 45 minutes later.
After getting into a fight in the restroom, Mathis claims he was forced out of a side entrance by a bouncer and after falling to the ground in convulsions. At the age of 23, Phoenix passed away after consuming too much cocaine and heroin.
Here are all the details regarding River Phoenix’s life, career, girlfriend, net worth, and more.
What Do We Know About River Phoenix Girlfriend?
Phoenix and Martha Plimpton started dating in February 1986, when The Mosquito Coast was still being filmed. They didn’t hit it off right away, besides being only met a year before. Prior to the breakup of their relationship in June 1989 owing to Phoenix’s drug addiction, they also acted together in the 1988 movie Running on Empty.
Right up to his death, they were great friends. Plimpton later admitted, “I realized that screaming, fighting, and appealing would still not influence him to change, which was one of the reasons we split up. He needed to alter, but he wasn’t yet prepared to do so.
Phoenix wasn’t a frequent drug user; rather, he used drugs occasionally, according to director Gus Van Sant’s novella Pink. The actor, however, did have a major alcohol problem, the novella claims. Phoenix had always made an effort to conceal his addictions out of concern that they may harm his profession just as much as they damaged his relationship with Plimpton.
He dated Samantha Mathis, his co-star in The Thing Called Love, until the final year of his life in 1993. On the night Phoenix passed away, Mathis was there. John Frusciante, the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Phoenix are said to have engaged in a drug binge in late October 1993.
They had not slept for days and had used large quantities of heroin and cocaine. Phoenix traveled to perform with the band P at the Viper Room nightclub in West Hollywood around this time. Despite telling his bandmates that he wasn’t feeling well throughout the concert, he refused to be driven home.
After a brief period of time, Samantha Mathis, Phoenix’s girlfriend, discovered him having a seizure on the pavement outside. On October 31, he was declared dead at the age of 23 after paramedics came and transported him to the hospital. In Micanopy, Florida, near the Phoenix family’s farm, his ashes were dispersed.
River Phoenix Personal Life And Net Worth
As River Phoenix, River Bottom was born on August 23, 1970, in Madras, Oregon, to roving hippies John Lee Bottom and Arlyn Dunetz. The Siddhartha character from the novel served as the model for his first name.
Phoenix had French, English, and German ancestry through his father and Russian aand Hungarian Jewish ancestry through his mother. As soon as they arrived back in the US, the Phoenix family moved to Los Angeles, California.
To raise income for the family, the young people would perform on city streets in the Westwood neighborhood. Phoenix did not attend any formal education.
Talent agent Iris Burton eventually caught wind of the kids and chose to support them. Phoenix went on to make appearances in television ads for companies like Mitsubishi and Ocean Spray.
At the time of his passing in 1993, River Phoenix was a famous American actor, musician, and campaigner with a $5 million fortune. In the children’s television series “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” River Phoenix had his acting debut as a youngster.
He then appeared in movies like “Explorers,” “Stand by Me,” “The Mosquito Coast,” and “Running on Empty.” He made appearances in a number of movies as a young adult, including “My Own Private Idaho,” “Sneakers,” and “The Thing Called Love.”
Phoenix had a strong commitment to environmental protection and animal welfare as an activist. He spoke on behalf of PETA and donated to numerous groups that support the environment and the underprivileged.