Socialite Andrew Embiricos, grandson of actress Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan, has died suddenly at age 25. But it’s not clear whether it was a suicide or death by sexual misadventure.
The Daily News reports that the handsome scion was found dead in his West 17th Street apartment Sunday evening:
“Embiricos’ body was discovered just after 9 p.m. Sunday by a close pal, Aaron Edwards, 33, who went to check on him after he missed several appointments.He was lying face up in his bed at his home inside The Grand Chelsea… The Medical Examiner determined that Embiricos died between 8:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. Sunday and that the preliminary cause of death an ‘apparent suicide,’ a source said Monday.”
Back in 2007, gossip columnist Ben Widdicombe wrote that Embiricos, son to Princess Yasmin Aga Kahn and nephew to her brother, His Highness Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV, had been doing gay porn at the tender age of 21:
By tradition of the Aga Khan blood line, [Embiricos] is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Also, he is an amateur gay porn star, uploading videos to the Internet with names like “Chelsea Bareback Whores.”
The trail isn’t hard to pick up. As of yesterday, the main image on Embiricos’ MySpace profile was of him holding a hand-written sign saying: “March 26, 2007 XTube screenname: Andrew Sauston.”
Village Voice columnist Michael Musto claims the strikingly handsome Embiricos battled HIV and wonders whether his death might have been the result of experimenting with autoerotic asphyxiation:
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“And now, NewYorkPost.com reports that Andrew was found dead, with a plastic bag over his head—an apparent suicide. Or is that really what happened?
He left no note, which is rare for a suicide. His Facebook comments had recently been cheerful. He was set to go on a trip to London with a friend. And his viral load had been way reduced.
Yes, he had tried suicide before, but onlookers felt he’d gotten past that extreme despair.
I’ll tell you one thing, though: Andrew was extremely kinky. Isn’t it possible that Andrew was experimenting with autoeroric asphyxiation? He tried far wilder things just for breakfast.
Whatever the case, I’m deeply saddened by the loss of someone with such radioactive charisma. Put a bag on any negative comments.”
Is Musto’s reasoning plausible—or is it wishful thinking to hope that the troubled ex-X-tube star was just pushing the limits of kink without a buddy?
Photo via Xtube
bagooka
“though it’s not clear whether he intended to commit suicide or was experimenting with autoerotic asphyxiation by himself.”
Bad taste, Evan.
Dave Lara
I thinks it’s ok to speculate on the experimentation thing.
But really…rest in peace sweet Andrew. Rest in peace.
Vancouverite
Very bad taste Evan.
Brandon H
“Put a bag on any negative comments.” SERIOUSLY!?
MEJ
Embiricos’ body was discovered just after 9 p.m. Sunday by a close pal, Aaron Edwards…The Medical Examiner determined that Embiricos died between 8:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. Sunday…
That’s a hell of a co-incidence, isn’t it? A friend finding the body just after he has died? Autoerotic asphyxiation, or a kinky session gone horribly wrong?
Cam
Seems like a very very weird way to commit suicide.
But lets look at it another way. Somebody from a family said to be directly descended from Mohammed is uploading porn on the internet etc…
Not too far out to assume there could have been some foul play here.
bagooka
@MEJ: Um…. I was thinking it’s a murder, maybe.
Henry
This is a sad story. It’s almost as sad as what happened to Charles. I mean, I wonder what it was like to have Rachel’s clothes and Rachel’s crib all ready for her to use. What did you do with them when you couldn’t take Rachel home? Are they still in the house somewhere?
Shane
@MEJ: I agree that the timing is HIGHLY suspicious; however I’m sure the video surveillance and doorman at The Grand Chelsea could quickly determine if there were any recent guests in his condo.
Top to Bottom
Oh wow. I knew this guy. Not well. But it’s still surreal. Rest in Peace, Andrew.
christopher di spirito
I don’t pretend to understand why a person would engage in auto asphyxiation.
OK Auto Asphyxiation Liberation Front, 3, 2, 1 — attack!
QJ201
And what exactly makes him any different from other 20 something HIV positive tweaked out messes? Grandma was a movie star, that’s about it.
RLS
@CBRad: No man, only racist, classist elitist assholes like you do. Perhaps you should round up the others like you and go to some private island where you can all be classy together.
What a prick you are.
CBRad
@RLS: Arghh…send me to the guillotine !! (Like you don’t stick with your own kind as well and have your own, just as “snobby”, standards).
Henry
I always thought that the term classist was a joke. After all, America is a society with almost nothing to offer BUT social mobility.
Andrew Puesch
@CBRad: Kid, your an American which automatically means you don’t have a class, title system. If I or my ancestors wanted to stick to our own kind we would have remained in homogeneous country. The worlds most diverse nation, would be last place I’d move to.
Celebs/ business people are not recognized as Blue bloods or elitist. Nobility, class cant be bought no matter wealth size and that’s the beauty of America.
CBRad
@Andrew Puesch: Tell it to Princess Grace.
Andrew Puesch
@CBRad: Princess Grace was and would always be rememberd as a commoner.
Chris
Wow. Just wow. This article / headline / dirt digging is pretty tasteless, even for Queerty.
QJ201:
Sorry you didn’t know him but you are so far off from the truth it isn’t even funny.
Andrew was one of the most kind, awesome people I’ve ever met. As for the friend finding him, there’s a reason, he’d missed dinner.
CBRad
@Andrew Puesch: True. AND a show business person. But, still, could you imagine her doing x-tube videos like this genuine royal was doing ??
Cam
@Andrew Puesch: said..
“@CBRad: Princess Grace was and would always be rememberd as a commoner.”
_________________________________
Sorry, Monaco was a tacky backwater with no money and nothing going for it. Grace Kelly came in, revitalized, made it glamorous and a destination for the world’s wealthy. The fact is, she was the only thing that burned out tacky place had going for it.
As for the rest of the “Royals” out there. Sorry, acting entitled because your great great great great great grandfather once did something is just sad.
Andrew Puesch
@Cam: The marriage was primarily a successful business transaction. Her legacy became throwing big parties, entertaining guests and promoting luxury goods items.
Most acts of self entitlement or arrogance comes from Celebs, business community. Many Noble descendants around the world are actually quite low-key.
Garry
@CBRad: Wait, what exactly is a “wrong ethnicity?” And what makes Persian a “right” one (I’m assuming, since you seem to place Embiricos’ royal lineage in the plus column)? If you’re going to go so far as to say that much, why bother playing coy at all?
Also, re: your reply to RLS further down, there’s a big difference between “stick[ing] with your own kind” and “despis[ing]” people who dare do otherwise–I wouldn’t conflate the two. (Not that I’m crazy about either of those two things.)
B
The first article QUEERTY linked to stated the following about him (far more
important IMHO than whatever amateur porn he allegedly made): “A graduate of Fordham University with a degree in psychology, Embiricos founded a Facebook charity group that provided clothing to homeless people. On his LinkedIn page he said he worked as a sales executive for Virgin Atlantic Airways. He also worked with HIV/AIDS advocacy groups and the Alzheimer’s Association.”
MEJ
@Cam:
Grace Kelly came in, revitalized, made it glamorous and a destination for the world’s wealthy.
Actually, that was Aristotle Onassis’ doing.
CBRad
@Andrew Puesch: MOST nobles and bluebloods are lowkey! Once they move out of that they risk ….stooping, slumming, etc.
CBRad
Actually, this guy was quite a mixture, when you think of it. His mother was half-Spanish (and from Brooklyn), then the Persian royal thing, and Greeks on his father’s side…..I guess gays will blame the Brooklyn blood for his x-tube behavior.
Joseph
And though his uncle is the current spiritual leader of the Shiia Islam sect, Andrew himself was not Muslim.
When his grandmother, Rita Hayworth, divorced Prince Aly Khan, she gained custody of Princess Yasmin and insisted that Yasmin be raised Christian, not Muslim; Andrew’s father was likely Greek Orthodox. So, I highly doubt any Islamic shame played any role in this, if it was suicide.
CBRad
@Joseph: Those are interesting points, yes. My (totally ignorant) guess would be suicide or accidental asphyxiation (or- something in between the two?) and we’ll never know for sure (like with the INXS guy).
Erik
An obvious clue to determine if it was autoerotic asphyxiation or suicide would be his state of dress, if he was naked when found.
Tommy Shepherd
Queerty – lying in the gutter, looking down in the gutter.
Cam
@Andrew Puesch: said…
“Most acts of self entitlement or arrogance comes from Celebs, business community. Many Noble descendants around the world are actually quite low-key.”
_____________________________
Yeah, the British Royals, the Saudi Royals, The Greek royals.
And hey, the Spanish nobles are SO low key…
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20116849-10391698.html
Rick Perry
@Henry: Intergenerational social and economic mobility is less in the US than in many other rich industrialized countries.
CBRad
@Cam: Those are just the ones you know of, though, because they are ostentatious. Not that that’s always a bad thing, either, but….traditionally royals (and, even more so, wealthy americans from old families) are supposed to be lowkey. And never hung around with trashy show biz people!
Henry
@Rick Perry: That’s very nice to know, Rick. Thanks for taking the time to educate little old me – you know how much I need it.
Zeus
OOPZ
Job
Where can I find these videos?