It’s been 10 years since DJ AM’s death, but his memory is still fresh in ex Mandy Moore’s mind.
The This Is Us star, 35, took to her Instagram on Wednesday, August 28, to pay tribute to the late musician on the 10-year anniversary of his passing.
“It’s been 10 years. There are so many times I still find myself wanting to tell you about something funny or strange or exciting,” the “Candy” singer captioned a photo of her ex pointing at a landscape. “I miss your contagious, guttural laugh and your hugs. The best hugs. Miss you every day but today is always hard.”
The DJ, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, was found dead at the age of 36 in his New York City apartment on August 28, 2009. A medical examiner ruled the cause of death as an accidental overdose due to the combined effects of cocaine, Oxycodone, Vicodin, Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, Benadryl and Levamisole, a drug used to cut cocaine. A crack pipe, a half bag of cocaine and prescription drugs were also found nearby.
Moore and DJ AM dated from January to March 2007. They remained close friends after their breakup, and the Walk to Remember star even reached out when the DJ relapsed on drugs in 2008, the same year that he and Travis Barker were involved in a plane crash in Columbia, South Carolina, that killed four other people on board. Both DJ AM and Barker, who were in the duo TRV$DJAM together, sustained critical injuries.
After his death, Moore released a statement to Us Weekly about how “absolutely heartbroken” she was over her ex’s passing.
“For those of us lucky enough to have known him, Adam radiated a contagious exuberance for life and also personified the very definition of a true friend,” she said. “To say that he will be missed beyond words is an understatement. My heart goes out to his loved ones.”
The Tangled star also paid tribute to the late DJ on the nine-year anniversary of his death in 2018.
“9 years. I miss you every day, Adam. #djam,” she captioned an Instagram photo of the artist smiling while relaxing on a couch.
Along with Moore, DJ AM was also in an on-and-off relationship with Nicole Richie from 2004 to 2006. The two got engaged in February 2005 but called it off 10 months later. They reconciled in March 2006 before officially breaking up after two months. Richie, who documented her relationship with the musician on her show The Simple Life, was one of several celebrities to attend DJ AM’s memorial in 2009, along with Lindsay Lohan and John Mayer.
After her relationship with DJ AM, Moore was married to Ryan Adams from 2009 to 2016. She wed Taylor Goldsmith in November 2018.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
