River Phoenix's Pain Before His Tragic Death Laid Bare — Brother Joaquin Opens Up About The Struggle His Sibling Faced Prior To His Overdose at The Viper Room
Joaquin Phoenix opened up about the death of his brother, River.
July 22 2025, Published 5:43 p.m. ET
Joaquin Phoenix has opened up about the shocking overdose death of his brother, River, 30 years ago outside the famed Viper Room in West Hollywood.
The Oscar winner, who rarely talks about the tragedy, detailed the "pressure" River was under before he died, RadarOnline.com can report.
Joaquin talked about the tragedy on Theo Von's podcast.
Joaquin was a guest on Theo Von's This Past Weekend podcast, where, near the end of the episode, the comedian subtly danced around the subject, asking the star about his family.
The Joker star said: "My brother was quite a force and was definitely, like, I don't know, almost like mythical or Shakespearean."
As the second son in the five-member family, Joaquin revealed he felt lucky to have River around to take care of things but added that it put a lot of stress on his older brother's life.
"I never felt any weight or pressure about being the (younger) son. Maybe it falls on the first child a lot," he reflected, struggling to come to a realization.
"I never thought about that. I don't know if it fell on him or if he just, like, took it. You know what I mean? Sometimes...sometimes it's just, like, undeniable."
River was just 23 when he overdosed at The Viper Room.
On October 31, 1992, River suffered multiple seizures while on the sidewalk outside of The Viper Room. The club had just opened a few months earlier, but it had quickly become the new Hollywood hotspot.
After collapsing to the ground, his sister, Rain, sat on his chest trying to stop his convulsions while Joaquin made a desperate 911 call for help.
Less than two weeks after the tragedy, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office ruled the death was accidental and caused by "acute multiple drug intoxication" involving lethal levels of cocaine and morphine.
Toxicology tests also found traces of marijuana, the prescription sedative Valium, and an over-the-counter cold medication.
Fans left tributes to the fallen star outside of the nightclub after his death.
An in-depth Radar investigation into the events and circumstances surrounding the tragedy uncovered multiple accounts of what happened, with some saying River was high when he got to the club, others indicating he was seen in the bathroom snorting cocaine and one insinuation that his drink was "spiked" by an illegal substance.
Perhaps the most accurate recollection came from River's girlfriend at the time, American Psycho actress Samantha Mathis, who explained in 2018 that she and River had never meant to stay in the club that night and had only gone there to drop off his siblings.
But when they arrived, River explained he wanted to play on stage.
Mathis admitted that while she didn’t see anyone taking drugs, her boyfriend was high in a way that made her feel "uncomfortable" and "way over her head."
She believes that he took the heroin that killed him when he was inside the club.
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The Viper Room is still open in West Hollywood.
The Viper Room first opened in August 1993 and was co-owned by actors and 21 Jump Street co-stars Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco.
Depp relinquished his ownership of the club in 2004 as part of the settlement of a lawsuit against him for mismanagement of profits.
Today, the music venue continues to be one of the most popular hangouts for Hollywood's young actors and musicians.
