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DJ AM, the sought-after disc jockey who became a celebrity in his own right with high-profile romances and a glamorous lifestyle and survived a plane crash just months ago, was found dead in his apartment Friday. He had a history of drug problems.

Police found a crack pipe and prescription pills in the Manhattan apartment, said a law enforcement official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. Paramedics had to break down the door before they found him, shirtless and wearing sweatpants, in his bed around 5:20 p.m., the official said.

A friend had called police to say he was unable to get into the home in the trendy SoHo neighborhood. There was no evidence of foul play, and a medical examiner will determine the DJ’s cause of death.

DJ AM, whose real name was Adam Goldstein, had talked openly about 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.

His spokeswoman, Jenni Weinman, said the circumstances surrounding his death were unclear. She pleaded for privacy for his family.

In October, MTV was to debut his new reality show, ‘Gone Too Far’, in which he and concerned families staged interventions for drug abusers. In a recent interview with the AP, 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.

Last year, he was badly hurt in a South Carolina plane crash that killed four people and seriously injured rock musician Travis Barker.

Goldstein, 36, was a deejay for hire who performed at Hollywood’s most exclusive parties and was admired by music aficionados. He also was famous for relationships with the reality TV star Nicole Richie, the daughter of singer Lionel Richie, and with actress-singer Mandy Moore.

Goldstein was critically injured last September when a Learjet crashed on takeoff in Columbia, S.C. The plane was transporting Goldstein and Barker, a drummer for the pop punk band Blink-182, after a performance; the pair had formed the duo TRVSDJ-AM.

Barker and Goldstein were burned, though Barker was injured more severely. Goldstein had to get skin graft surgery, but about a month later he was performing again, joining Jay-Z on stage.

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.”

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, performing 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.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of DJ AM, who was a tremendous talent, a trusted partner and friend to ‘DJ Hero,'” said Tim Riley, vice president of music affairs for Activision. “We hope that his work on the game will be a fitting tribute to his creative spirit and musical talent.”

Representatives for Moore and Barker didn’t immediately return telephone messages seeking comment on the DJ’s death, but other celebrities and fans instantly shared their reactions on Twitter, where “RIP DJ AM” was the No. 1 topic Friday.

“I’m stunned. Rest in peace Adam,” singer-songwriter Josh Groban posted.

“I’m sorry to loved ones,” musician and video director Pete Wentz wrote. “So unexpected.”

Singer John Mayer wrote: “We’re supposed to lose our friends to time, at an age when we’re ready to agree to the terms of having lived a long life. Not now.”

Goldstein was on Twitter just three days ago. He said he had just wrapped filming of the MTV series in Connecticut and was on his way to Atlantic City, N.J., to DJ. He also posted a lyric from the hip-hop legends Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five: “New York, New York. Big city of dreams, but everything in New York ain’t always what it seems.”

Media and onlookers flocked to his apartment, creating a frenzied scene; flowers had been placed outside the entrance.

Fellow DJ Scott Schroer, known as Scotty Boy, said he went to the apartment after he heard the news to check for himself. He said he had known Goldstein for 10 years and had worked the turntables with him last week at the Palm in Las Vegas.

“He was the first to really be eclectic in the mashup scene,” Schroer said. “He mixed rock and roll with hip-hop. He was a pioneer.”

Schroer said Goldstein had been sober since he met him. When asked about the prescription pills, he said: “If you were just in a plane crash a year ago, I’m sure you would have prescription pills, too.”

Source: AP

Michael Jackson’s death was a homicide caused primarily by the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative, the coroner announced Friday in a highly anticipated ruling increasing the likelihood of criminal charges against the pop star’s doctor.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office determined the cause of death was “acute propofol intoxication.” Lorazepam, another sedative sold under the brand name Ativan, contributed to the death.

Additional drugs detected in Jackson’s system were the sedatives midazolam and diazepam, the painkiller lidocaine and the stimulant ephedrine.

The coroner did not release Jackson’s full autopsy report, citing a security hold requested by Los Angeles authorities investigating the case, and declined to comment beyond a short statement announcing the manner and cause of death.

The coroner’s determination of a homicide confirmed what The Associated Press first reported Monday, citing an anonymous law enforcement official.

The 50-year-old Jackson died June 25 at his rented Los Angeles mansion. Dr. Conrad Murray, the Las Vegas cardiologist who was the pop star’s personal physician, told police he gave Jackson propofol that morning after a series of sedatives failed to help Jackson sleep.

Murray has not been charged with any crime but is the target of what police term a manslaughter investigation. Multiple search warrants served at his home and businesses in Las Vegas and Houston sought evidence detailing how he procured the propofol that killed Jackson. Jackson’s interactions with at least six other doctors also are being scrutinized.

In addition, California Attorney General Jerry Brown has opened an independent probe of several physicians.

Except for a brief video posted to YouTube earlier this month, Murray has not spoken publicly since Jackson’s death. In the video, he said: “I told the truth and I have faith the truth will prevail.”

Murray’s attorney, Edward Chernoff, said he was disappointed the full autopsy report wasn’t released. Without that, it was impossible to seek independent expert opinion on the significance of the various drugs detected.

“Release the toxicology report, the whole thing. Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Chernoff said. “This smells like gamesmanship.”

Chernoff repeated his assertion that nothing Murray gave Jackson “should have” killed him.

It’s not clear when the full report may be released. The coroner said the security hold would remain until the investigation is wrapped up. The Los Angeles Police Department and the district attorney’s office said they did not know when that would be.

A statement by the LAPD said the investigation into the death is ongoing and “will result in the case being presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney for filing consideration.”

The coroner’s determination of homicide makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed but does not guarantee it.

“That decision is not binding on the district attorney,” said Steve Cron, a criminal defense attorney and adjunct professor at Pepperdine University’s law school. “But it is one more piece of the puzzle that leads toward the conclusion that someone will be prosecuted for his death.”

In the past seven years just a handful of doctors have been convicted of manslaughter, mostly involving their patients’ use of painkillers. To win a conviction, prosecutors would have to show that Murray acted recklessly and with negligence.

Murray was hired by Jackson’s promoter AEG Live to help keep the aging star fit during the grueling preparation for a series of comeback “This Is It” concerts in London. Jackson got to know Murray in Las Vegas, where he moved after a stint overseas following his 2005 exoneration on child molestation charges and where the Caribbean native ran a clinic.

It was a break — and a $150,000-a-month salary — that Murray desperately needed. The doctor hadn’t paid the mortgage on his country club mansion in 2009, and according to court records he owed a total of at least $680,000 in judgments against him and his medical practice, delinquent student loans, child support and credit cards.

Murray has been interviewed twice by police. According to court records, he told investigators that over about six hours he injected Jackson with two doses each of lorazepam and midazolam. Finally, around 10:40 a.m., Murray said he succumbed to Jackson’s demands and administered propofol, a drug Murray said he had given Jackson every night for six weeks. He said he had diluted the propofol with lidocaine.

Propofol, dubbed “milk of amnesia” among anesthesia professionals, commonly is used to render patients unconscious for surgery. It’s only supposed to be administered by anesthesia professionals in medical settings and, because of its potency, requires the patient be closely monitored at all times. Using propofol strictly as a sleep agent violates medical guidelines.

Medical experts said the drugs found in Jackson’s system magnify each other’s effects.

“Instead of one plus one equals two, one plus one equals three,” said Lee Cantrell, a toxicologist and director of the San Francisco division of the California Poison Control System.

A search warrant affidavit unsealed this week in Houston includes a detailed account of what detectives say Murray told them. The doctor said he’d been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks with 50 milligrams of propofol every night via an intravenous drip, the affidavit said. Murray said he feared Jackson was becoming addicted to the anesthetic, which is supposed to be used only in hospitals and other advanced medical settings, so he had lowered the dose to 25 milligrams and added the sedatives lorazepam and midazolam.

That dosage is very small and by itself it’s very unlikely it would have killed him. But with the other drugs there was a “benzodiazepine effect,” according to the coroner, and it was deadly.

Dr. David Zvara, anesthesia chairman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said it’s difficult to determine what constitutes a fatal dose of propofol in someone receiving other sedatives.

“It’s hard to set any level because of the way those act in synergy,” he said. Given after the sedative lorazepam, “Even a small dose of propofol might have a very large effect.”

Jackson had many medical procedures over the year and a long history with various drugs. Following his death, three medical professionals said Jackson asked them for propofol this spring. All refused. One, a registered nurse named Cherilyn Lee, recounted that Jackson told her he liked how the drug knocked him out fast and allowed him to sleep for hours longer than he could naturally.

Doctors were surprised by the coroner’s mention of ephedrine, once sold as the controversial diet drug Ephedra and now banned by the federal Food and Drug Administration, though the drug can be used for resuscitation. Zvara said it’s unlikely emergency personnel who responded to Jackson’s home would have used that drug since epinephrine, otherwise known as adrenaline, is favored.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Dr. David Adams, an anesthesiologist mentioned in a search warrant affidavit, said Murray’s account of their meeting with Jackson was inaccurate.

Documents state Murray told detectives he was present when Adams sedated Jackson with propofol at a cosmetologist’s office in March or April.

Adams’ lawyer, Liborius Agwara, said his client spoke to Murray on the phone and met him in person only once, at a meeting with Jackson at Murray’s Las Vegas office in March. Adams didn’t perform or witness any medical procedures at that meeting, the lawyer said.

Agwara said Adams administered propofol to Jackson four times in 2008 to assist a dental surgeon.

Source: AP

British singer Lily Allen says she finds it difficult to get on with her female competitors and admits that she gets jealous when their songs are played.

“I get pangs of jealousy when I hear people like radio presenters getting really excited about new music. I kind of feel like, ‘Oh, I am just fading’,” contactmusic quoted Allen as saying.

“I don’t feel I am in competition with all the other girls but I find it quite difficult to get on with a lot of my female competitors,” she added.

Source: IANS

Hollywood actress Megan Fox will not star in upcoming Batman movie as the reports had suggested earlier this week.

Reports had surfaced that Fox would play Catwoman in the sequel to last year’s blockbuster ‘The Dark Knight’.

International production house Warner Bros has confirmed that there will be a third film in the current movie series but no casting decisions have been made yet, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“It is a rumour. It is not true. There is no script. There is no project to be cast in,” said a representative for the studio.

Source: IANS