Inside John Belushi's Final Days on Comic's 43rd Death Anniversary: How Iconic 'SNL' Star Partied With Hollywood's Biggest A-Listers Before Deadly Overdose Aged 33
John Belushi partied with Robin Williams and Robert De Niro hours before his death.
March 6 2025, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday Night Live legend John Belushi was found dead at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles 43 years ago this week.
As his family, friends and fans continue to mourn the loss of the comedy giant, RadarOnline.com can reveal an inside look into how the Blues Brothers star spent his final days, including hanging out with Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, before he overdosed at age 33.
Belushi died aged 33 on March 5, 1982.
Belushi captured the hearts of Americans with his grandiose style of comedy as part of the original cast of SNL in 1975, during which he frequently collaborated with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd, who he formed the iconic Blues Brothers sketch with and was later adapted into the 1980 film by the same name, as well as a double-platinum album.
Tragically, the world lost Belushi just seven short years later after he developed a drug addiction behind the scenes.
His body was discovered on the morning of March 5, 1982 by his personal trainer, Bill Wallace, who visited his cottage at the Chateau Marmont to deliver a typewriter.
Belushi was discovered unresponsive by his personal trainer at the Chateau Marmont.
Initially, police did not suspect any foul play or believed drugs played a part in his demise, though his final hours would eventually reveal a more sinister truth.
The night before his death, the star hit the Sunset Strip with then-38-year-old De Niro. The pair saw a comedy show and listened to music while "drinking heavily” at a private club, On the Rox.
When last call came and went and the clubs shut down, Belushi was said to have kept the party going at his hotel room, where Williams stopped by after performing a stand-up show earlier that evening.
Belushi partied on the Sunset Strip and at his hotel room in the hours before his death.
De Niro, who was also staying at Chateau Marmont, also joined Belushi and Williams at the hotel after party.
A woman, Cathy Smith, was also with Belushi in the hours before his death. She testified to driving him back to his hotel room and continued to party with the crew, including injecting Belushi with drugs.
Following his night of heavy drinking and drug use, the comic began to complain about hot and cold flashes before eventually passing out around 8 A.M., according to the coroner's report.
Smith said when she left around 10 AM, she "really didn't know" if the funnyman was asleep or dead.
He reportedly complained of hot and cold flashes before he passed out around 8 A.M. the morning of his death.
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While the Los Angeles Police Department initially ruled he died of "natural causes," he was found with needle marks on his arm suggesting drug overdose as the real culprit.
His official cause of death listed on the coroner's report days later stated he died of "acute cocaine and heroin intoxication."
In addition to his drug use, Belushi's health was in considerably bad shape for a person in their early 30s. He was said to have suffered from clogged arteries, obesity, congestion of the lungs, liver and spleen, an enlarged heart and a swollen brain.
While reflecting on his close friend's death in a 2024 interview with People, Aykroyd revealed he was the first person to tell Belushi's wife and high school sweetheart, Judy, about his passing.
He said: "That's a piece of trauma that will be with me forever. I lament that he's not around. It's more than wistfulness: it's a true lamentation."
