News of "Stand By Me" star River Phoenix's death from a drug overdose in 1993 at 23 shook the world. A media frenzy ensued.
Reporters bombarded the actor's family with questions as they struggled to get the inside scoop, but the invasion of privacy proved detrimental to the healing process of River's relatives.
His brother, Joaquin Phoenix, and mother, Heart, opened up about the tragedy during an appearance in "60 Minutes" on Sunday.
"River was a really substantial actor and movie star, and we didn't really know it," he said, admitting that he and his family were "so removed" from the entertainment world and did not realize the magnitude of his brother's fame, according to USA Today.
In the days following River's death, the media had his family's house surrounded. It did not make it easy for them to process the loss.
"So during that time in which you're most vulnerable, there are helicopters flying over. There are people that are trying to sneak onto your land. Certainly, for me, it felt like it impeded on the mourning process, right?" Joaquin said.
Grieving has been a lengthy process for the family, who were unable to fully mourn what happened due to the media storm. Heart said she still felt the loss.
"The grieving process happens out of nowhere, you know? I'll be driving and all of a sudden, I will feel it," she said.
As children, both Joaquin and River were intent on pursuing acting careers. River made it big before his brother did but after his death, Joaquin immersed himself in his acting.
He appeared in dozens of blockbusters, which resulted in him receiving three Oscar nominations. Most recently, Joaquin was awarded a Golden Globe for best actor in a drama for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in "Joker."
Joaquin credits his career to his brother. During bouts of demotivation, River would deliver regular pep talks to his brother. It was what pulled him out of a dark place.
"He said: 'You're going to start acting again,'" Joaquin recalled in a sentimental speech at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, according to BBC. "He didn't ask me, he told me. And I am indebted to him for that because acting has given me such an incredible life."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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