Philip Seymour Hoffman Bought Drugs at ATM Before Death? Police Investigating Eyewitness Allegations
Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his West Village apartment Sunday morning of an apparent drug overdose, and police are now looking into a possible drug deal the actor was involved in Saturday night. A witness alleged that he saw the 46-year-old actor take out cash and purchase the drugs.
Philip Seymour Hoffman was allegedly seen withdrawing a large amount of cash from a West Village ATM not far from his apartment Saturday night around 8 p.m., a man told police. The eyewitness said he saw the "very sweaty" actor that looked "like s---" hand the money over to two men with messenger bags, according to Fox News.
Authorities are now looking for surveillance video linking Hoffman to the scene or the men at the time.
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The "Hunger Games" actor was found in his apartment the next morning dead, and sources told FOX411 that Hoffman even had a heroin needle stuck in his arm when his friend, playwright and screenwriter David Bar Katz, found him at 11 a.m. Katz said he had become concerned about the actor after he could not reach him.
Hoffman was fairly open about his former drug abuse, revealing that he drank and use narcotics and placed himself in rehab at just 22 years old. After beginning to abuse prescription pills and then heroin last year, he again checked himself into rehab for about 10 days.
"I saw him last week, and he was clean and sober, his old self," Katz told The New York Times. "I really thought this chapter was over."
Hoffman was a talented and accomplished actor, being nominated for Academy Awards "Charlie Wilson's War," "Doubt," "The Master," and winning for "Capote." He was also nominated for Tony Awards for his stage roles in "True West," "Long Day's Journey into Night" and "Death of a Salesman."
Hoffman's family released a statement over the "tragic and sudden loss," and they are receiving widespread support from several of the actors' former co-stars, including Julianne Moore, George Clooney and Tom Hanks, who also released statements of their own.
"I feel so fortunate to have known and worked with the extraordinary Philip Seymour Hoffman, and am deeply saddened by his passing," Moore told Entertainment Weekly.
"This is a horrible day for those who worked with Philip," Hanks said. "He was a giant talent. Our hearts are open for his family."
Clooney noted, "There are no words. It's just terrible."
Hoffman is survived by his longtime girlfriend Mimi O'Donnell and his children, Cooper, Tallulah and Willa.
