Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and painkiller addiction which some readers may find distressing
A close friend of Avicii has revealed heartbreaking new details about the late Swedish DJ in an upcoming documentary.
Avicii - real name Tim Bergling - had long been struggling with the pressures of fame and touring throughout his career as well as various mental health issues. He would go on to sadly take his life, aged just 28, in April 2018 in Muscat, Oman.
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Bergling's life and career is once again the spotlight after new documentary Avicii: I'm Tim had its first screening at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday (9 June).
The documentary features exclusive interviews with Bergling's friends and family, as well as never-before-heard clips from interviews with the Swedish hitmaker - who was known for his tracks 'Wake Me Up' and 'Levels'.
One of the people interviewed is Jesse Waits, who became close with Bergling due to his work in the Las Vegas nightlife scene.
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Speaking about the impact painkillers had on Bergling, Waits said the habit ended up creating 'more anxiety' for the DJ.
"I realised he was taking painkillers," Waits said.
"I grew up with a family that did drugs and I saw when people do opiates their eyes change. The pin, the little black parts of their eyes.
"His eyes were wide open like a zombie—he was not there."
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Describing Avicii as 'like a brother' to him, Waits added: "At the dinner, his demeanour changed and his eyes dilated. That changes everything. Those pills change how you act and how you feel. You wake up feeling like s**t and have to have another one to feel good.
"For him, it was to suppress his anxiety, but it just created more anxiety."
Avicii: I'm Tim has been written and directed by Henrik Burman and features interviews from the likes of Chris Martin, Nile Rodgers and David Guetta.
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Waits wasn't the only person close to Avicii to share his concerns in the documentary, with frequent collaborator Aloe Blacc revealing he wished he'd noticed the 'cry for help' in Bergling's music.
Recalling his reaction to reading the lyrics to the song 'SOS' - which he recorded vocals for after Bergling's passing - calling the words a 'cry for help'.
"It felt like… all of us really wanted to have this message way before, so that we could have been there to support him," Blacc told Good Morning America in 2019.
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"He had written in his notes that he wanted me to sing this song, but he never communicated that to me. He communicated other things via emails and text messages."
A wider release for the Avicii: I'm Tim is yet to be confirmed.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Mental Health, Music, Celebrity
Brenna Cooper