Rita Hayworth's grandson 'battled drug addiction and had previously attempted suicide' before his death by suffocation in New York apartment

By MEGHAN KENEALLY



Found dead: Andrew Embiricos, 25, was found in his Chelsea apartment Sunday night by a friend who was concerned since he had missed appointments



Rita Hayworth’s grandson had been battling a long and difficult drug addiction and had previously attempted suicide before he died after an apparent suicide in his Manhattan apartment on Sunday.

According to a friend, Andrew Ali Aga Khan Embiricos - who was the grandson of the silver-screen legend - had been in and out of drug rehab over the past few years though seemed in good spirits in the days leading up to his death.

He was found lying on his bed in his Chelsea apartment after apparently suffocating himself with a plastic bag. An investigation is underway.



Famous face: Rita Hayworth was married five times, and has only two children, the younger of whom was Andrew Emiricos' mother



The New York Post reports that Mr Embiricos’ friend Aaron Edwards found Andrew's body when he went to check on him Sunday because Andrew had missed several appointments.

Their report says that no note was found at the scene and his mother, Princes Yasmin Aga Khan rushed to his apartment when she heard the news.

The 25-year-old Mr Embiricos was the son of Rita Hayworth’s daughter Princess Yasmin, 61, who was a product of Ms Hayworth’s third husband, Aga Khan IV.



A graduate of Fordham University with a degree in psychology, Mr Embiricos founded a Facebook charity group that provided clothing to homeless people and was also said to have worked with HIV/AIDS advocacy groups and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Village Voice reporter Michael Musto, who knew the 25-year-old from the New York social scene, wrote of his death: 'I’m deeply saddened by the loss of someone with such radioactive charisma. He was a strikingly handsome, personable guy who radiated charm no matter what crisis he was weathering.'

He also said that the young man had been in and out of drug rehab and had attempted suicide before, though revealed he had sounded cheerful in recent Facebook comments and was planning a trip to London with a friend.

In 2007, The Daily News' Gatecrasher column revealed he led a double life as an amateur porn enthusiast who had posted porn videos on XTube under an alias.



Philanthropists: Yasmin Aga Khan and her son Andrew Embiricos pictured together at the 2008 Alzheimer's Association Gala in honor of Hayworth



Mr Embiricos is both spiritual and Hollywood royalty, as his grandfather is Prince Aly Khan who was the leader of a sect of Islam.

Though there was no specific land that Prince Aly resided over, he was considered the head of the Ismaili Muslims which are a branch of Shia Islam.

The marriage was the second for Prince Aly and the third for Hayworth, who had just recently divorced the director Orson Welles when she met the Prince.

Prince Aly made headlines when he married screen siren Hayworth in a lavish ceremony in Cannes, France in 1949, when the movie star was already two months pregnant with Andrew Embiricos' mother Yasmin.

Yasmin was Rita Hayworth's second child- and her only child from her marriage to the Pakistani prince, and she was an item of debate during the couple's acrimonious divorce.



Family ties: Rita Hayworth (right) and her daughter- Andrew's mother- Yasmin Kahn (left) shown here in a home they shared in Beverly Hills



When Hayworth found out that the Prince was spotted dancing with fellow actress Joan Fontaine, Hayworth threatened to divorce him and moved to Reno, Nevada in order to expedite the process.

The couple fought over how and where Yasmin would be raised, with the Prince insisting that she be raised Muslim and Hayworth fighting for a Catholic upbringing similar to her own.



Mysterious: Andrew's autopsy did not reveal any immediate cause of death







source: dailymail