Overview

Philip Seymour Hoffman's Death refers to the death of the 46-year-old, Oscar-winning actor of an apparent drug overdose which occurred in New York City, New York in early February 2014.

Background

On February 2nd, 2014, at approximately 11:30 AM (EST), Hoffman's friend, playwright and screenwriter David Bar Katz found the actor unconscious in the bathroom of his New York City apartment.^[1] He was found with a needle still in his arm and two envelopes of what might be heroin near by. An autopsy to determine the cause of death was scheduled for February 3rd.^[2] His family released an official statement to the media saying:

""We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Phil and appreciate the outpouring of love and support we have received from everyone. This is a tragic and sudden loss and we ask that you respect our privacy during this time of grieving."

On February 3rd, 2014, the New York City police authorities confirmed that 70 envelopes containing heroin were found at the late actor's residence and they are examining the evidence to determine whether the drug was mixed or tainted with anything else.

Acting Career

Hoffman had acted in over 63 films and television series, and was nominated for four Oscars, winning one in 2006 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for playing the title character in Capote.^[6] The actor had admitted to struggling with drug addiction in the past, checking into a rehab facility in May of 2013.^[8] He had three children with longtime girlfriend Mimi O'Donnell: Cooper, Tallulah, and Willa.

Notable Developments

On Twitter

Many of Hoffman's fellow actors expressed their sadness over his death on Twitter.

The "Death Hoax" Hoax

Shortly after the announcement of Hoffman's death, several online news sites reported the actor had been the victim of a celebrity death hoax days before his actual passing. The initial claim that an internet death hoax occurred was made by Media Mass^[3], a website that focuses on celebrity gossip through satirical news articles.^[4] The same website alleged actor Paul Walker's death was a hoax when it was first reported in November 2013. The site has a template allowing readers to quickly create a "death hoax" plot for any popular celebrity. An article on About.com^[5] pointed out the fact the hoax itself had been fabricated in a post titled, "No, There Wasn't a Philip Seymour Hoffman Death Hoax Before the Actual Event."

Jared Padalecki and Levar Burton's Tweets

On February 2nd Supernatural actor Jared Padalecki tweeted about Hoffman's death saying:

""'Sad' isn't the word I'd use to describe a 46-year-old man throwing his life away to drugs. 'Senseless' is more like it. 'Stupid'"

Padalecki then deleted the original tweet and followed up with another tweet for clarification:

The tweets received backlash on Twitter, Tumblr and Jezebel^[9]. Actor LeVar Burton faced similar criticism for tweeting:

Search Interest

External References