Goldstein, 36, was a DJ for hire who performed at Hollywood's most exclusive parties. He became
a celebrity in his own right with a glamorous lifestyle and
high-profile romances, including with Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore.
Paramedics
had to break down the door to his Manhattan apartment before they found
his body at about 5:20 p.m., a law enforcement official told The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity. There was no evidence of
foul play, the official said.
Goldstein
had talked openly about past addictions to crack cocaine, Ecstasy and
other drugs, but he claimed he had been drug-free for years.
Authorities
will need to conduct toxicology tests, expected to take weeks, to
determine what killed him, a medical examiner's office spokeswoman said
Saturday.
An autopsy Saturday was inconclusive, said the spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove.
A
law enforcement official told The Associated Press that police found a
crack pipe and prescription pills in the apartment where they
discovered DJ AM's body Friday evening. The official spoke to The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation
was ongoing.
A source close to Richie told FOXNews.com that she is "shocked" and understandably devastated over ex-fiance Adam's passing.
"When they were together, Adam and Nicole, they were very cool, very good, happy, and upbeat," the source said.
"She
is incredibly affected by this. They had such a close relationship for
so long," the source said. "Even though they're not together anymore,
they had a close relationship, and were friends. They were in touch as
friends but didn't really see each other."
Goldstein
died nearly a year after surviving a South Carolina plane crash that
killed four people and seriously injured rock musician Travis Barker.
"This
comes as a complete shock. I will miss him forever. He was a great
friend to me," DJ AM's friend, actor Simon Rex, who was at his welcome
home party after the tragic plane crash, told FOXNews.com.
In
September of 2008, Goldstein and Barker were seriously burned escaping
the plane crash. The pair had planned to perform together for the first
time since the crash at an event in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve.
A
friend of DJ AM told FOXNews.com that Goldstien "has been spiraling out
of control since the plane crash. He was taking so many painkillers for
his injuries, he slowly got hooked on them.
"About
7 years ago he went through major drug addictions, and he worked so
hard, and successfully kicked the habit. He was terrified to take any
of the meds the doctors prescribed him after the crash, but the pain
was so bad," the friend said. "Adam took them, and the need for the
drugs grew, and now here we are. It's terrible that no one was able to
stop him soon enough, but it just happened so fast."