EJ Johnson does not intend to release a formal statement about the recent death of his best friend and former EJNYC costar Lyric McHenry. The reality star took to the comments section of his Instagram page after some of his followers noted that he has not publicly addressed the news.
“I’m going to make this clear to everyone there will be no mourning post because I’m not going to reduce a 25yr friendship to 1 Instagram post,” Johnson, 26, wrote in a since-deleted comment, via Entertainment Tonight. “Please respect my privacy and my process.”
McHenry died at the age of 26 on August 14 from a suspected drug overdose. She was found unresponsive on a sidewalk in The Bronx, New York, and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police claimed to the New York Daily News that McHenry was 20 weeks pregnant, but a family spokesperson told Us Weekly, “Lyric did not share that with the family, so we’ll all have to wait for the autopsy report.” The spokesperson also said that drug use would be “hugely out of character” for McHenry. The cause of death has yet to be determined.
The late E! personality’s family remembered her in a statement to Us on August 15 as a “brilliant, creative and lovely young woman who shared a deep passion for writing, film and a long-standing commitment to social justice.” They added, “Lyric’s warmth, compassion and energy will be missed by many.”
