David Bar Katz, the friend of Philip Seymour Hoffman who found him dead on the floor of his flat, has condemned the media for painting a “false picture” of the actor following his suspected drug overdose .
The playwright spoke publically for the first time of the controversies surrounding the coverage of his late companion during a televised interview on CNN show "New Day" (scroll down to watch the video).
"It's a cliché that makes it very easy and that people like, but Phil was not that guy," Katz said.
"I can just say that I think a lot of it has been totally overblown. It gives a false picture of him because he was focused, he was working, he was focused on his family, he was not a partier, he was not someone that was in a spiral, he was not self-destructive in any way."
Philip Seymour Hoffman 1967 - 2014
Philip Seymour Hoffman 1967 - 2014
1/25 Capote
A classic shot of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Capote, the role which earned him a Best Actor Academy Award in 2006
2/25 Scent Of A Woman
Hoffman played an affable school boy in 1992 film Scent Of A Woman
3/25 Boogie Nights
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Wahlbergand JohnC Reilly in 'Boogie Nights', 1997
4/25 Happiness
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lara Flynn Boyle in 'Happiness', 1998
5/25 The Big Lebowski
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeff Bridges in 'The Big Lebowski', 1998
6/25 Flawless
Dressed up to the nines in Flawless, 1999
7/25 The Talented Mr Ripley
Another career highlight for Hoffman, in 1999
8/25 Magnolia
Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as Phil Parma in 'Magnolia'. This was Paul Thomas Anderson's second film, 1999
Getty
9/25 Almost Famous
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs and Patrick Fugit as William Miller in 'Almost Famous', 2000
10/25 Punch Drunk
Hoffman poses in Punch Drunk Love, 2002
11/25 Owning Mahowny
Philip Seymour Hoffman in 'Owning Mahowny', 2003
12/25 Capote
Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays writer Truman Capote in a scene from the film, 'Capote'. The film looks at the author's journey into writing 'In Cold Blood', 2006
AP
13/25 Mission Impossible III
Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in 'Mission Impossible III', 2006
14/25 Charlie Wilson's War
A scene from 'Charlie Wilson's War' with Tom Hanks as Charlie Wilson, left, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust Avrakotos, right. The film follows Charlie Wilson, a congressman from Texas, who takes an interest in the situation in Afghanistan, 2007
AP
15/25 The Savages
Philip Seymour Hoffman, left, and Laura Linney, right, are shown in this scene from the film 'The Savages'. The film centers on Jon and Wendy Savage and their broken relationship with their father, 2007
Reuters
16/25 Doubt
Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays Father Flynn, right, and Meryl Streep portrays Sister Aloysius in a scene from 'Doubt'. Streep plays Sister Aloysius who sets off on a personal mission to find out the truth about Father Flynn, 2008
17/25 Doubt
As a man of the cloth, starring opposite Meryl Streep in Doubt, 2008
18/25 Synecdoche, New York
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Hope Davis in Charlie Kaufman's ambitious directorial debut 'Synecdoche, New York', 2008
19/25 'Jack Goes Boating'
Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut as he stars alongside Amy Ryan in 'Jack Goes Boating', 2010
20/25 The Ides of March
Philip Seymour Hoffman, left, and Ryan Gosling are shown in a scene from 'The Ides of March', 2011
21/25 Moneyball
A truly versatile actor, Hoffman played a baseball coach opposite Brad Pitt in the Oscar-nominated Moneyball, 2011
22/25 The Master
Joaquin Phoenix, left, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a scene from 'The Master'. The director, Paul Thomas Anderson, acknowledged that Hoffman's character was partially based on Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, 2012
AP
23/25 A Late Quartet
Philip Seymour Hoffman in the pleasing 'A Late Quartet', 2012
24/25 Death Of A Salesman
Philip Seymour Hoffman, left, and Andrew Garfield, right, take a curtain call at the Broadway opening night of 'Death Of A Salesman' at the Barrymore Theatre, 2012
Getty
25/25 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Philip Seymour Hoffman starring alongside Woody Harrelson in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', 2013
1/25 Capote
A classic shot of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Capote, the role which earned him a Best Actor Academy Award in 2006
2/25 Scent Of A Woman
Hoffman played an affable school boy in 1992 film Scent Of A Woman
3/25 Boogie Nights
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Wahlbergand JohnC Reilly in 'Boogie Nights', 1997
4/25 Happiness
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lara Flynn Boyle in 'Happiness', 1998
5/25 The Big Lebowski
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeff Bridges in 'The Big Lebowski', 1998
6/25 Flawless
Dressed up to the nines in Flawless, 1999
7/25 The Talented Mr Ripley
Another career highlight for Hoffman, in 1999
8/25 Magnolia
Philip Seymour Hoffman stars as Phil Parma in 'Magnolia'. This was Paul Thomas Anderson's second film, 1999
Getty
9/25 Almost Famous
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs and Patrick Fugit as William Miller in 'Almost Famous', 2000
10/25 Punch Drunk
Hoffman poses in Punch Drunk Love, 2002
11/25 Owning Mahowny
Philip Seymour Hoffman in 'Owning Mahowny', 2003
12/25 Capote
Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays writer Truman Capote in a scene from the film, 'Capote'. The film looks at the author's journey into writing 'In Cold Blood', 2006
AP
13/25 Mission Impossible III
Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in 'Mission Impossible III', 2006
14/25 Charlie Wilson's War
A scene from 'Charlie Wilson's War' with Tom Hanks as Charlie Wilson, left, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust Avrakotos, right. The film follows Charlie Wilson, a congressman from Texas, who takes an interest in the situation in Afghanistan, 2007
AP
15/25 The Savages
Philip Seymour Hoffman, left, and Laura Linney, right, are shown in this scene from the film 'The Savages'. The film centers on Jon and Wendy Savage and their broken relationship with their father, 2007
Reuters
16/25 Doubt
Philip Seymour Hoffman portrays Father Flynn, right, and Meryl Streep portrays Sister Aloysius in a scene from 'Doubt'. Streep plays Sister Aloysius who sets off on a personal mission to find out the truth about Father Flynn, 2008
17/25 Doubt
As a man of the cloth, starring opposite Meryl Streep in Doubt, 2008
18/25 Synecdoche, New York
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Hope Davis in Charlie Kaufman's ambitious directorial debut 'Synecdoche, New York', 2008
19/25 'Jack Goes Boating'
Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut as he stars alongside Amy Ryan in 'Jack Goes Boating', 2010
20/25 The Ides of March
Philip Seymour Hoffman, left, and Ryan Gosling are shown in a scene from 'The Ides of March', 2011
21/25 Moneyball
A truly versatile actor, Hoffman played a baseball coach opposite Brad Pitt in the Oscar-nominated Moneyball, 2011
22/25 The Master
Joaquin Phoenix, left, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a scene from 'The Master'. The director, Paul Thomas Anderson, acknowledged that Hoffman's character was partially based on Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, 2012
AP
23/25 A Late Quartet
Philip Seymour Hoffman in the pleasing 'A Late Quartet', 2012
24/25 Death Of A Salesman
Philip Seymour Hoffman, left, and Andrew Garfield, right, take a curtain call at the Broadway opening night of 'Death Of A Salesman' at the Barrymore Theatre, 2012
Getty
25/25 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Philip Seymour Hoffman starring alongside Woody Harrelson in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', 2013
After his death, notorious American tabloid the National Enquirer published a story indicating that Katz and Hoffman had enjoyed a romantic relationship.
Katz sued the publication, and was awarded a settlement fee, which will be used to fund a new $45,000 award for playwrights in honour of the memory of Hoffman.
The paper had based its entire story, it said, on a person claiming to be Katz.
"I was really stunned by that."
Hoffman was found dead on the floor of his bathroom in his Greenwich Village apartment by Katz and his personal assistant on Sunday 2 February just after 12pm.
His initial autopsy results were ruled inconclusive by a New York medical examiner. However, police suspect that he died of a heroin overdose.
A funeral for the family and friends of the late Capote star was held in New York on 7 February 2014 . Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, Meryl Streep, Justin Theroux, Amy Adams and Michelle Williams also attended.
Four people have since been arrested in connection with the 350 bags of heroin discovered by investigators in his flat.
One man charged with felony heroin possession with an intent to sell was saxophonist Robert Vineberg , 57, a session musician who played for Amy Winehouse, David Bowie and Mick Jagger in the past.
In his will, the contents of which were revealed on 19 February , Hoffman declared his wish for his son to be bought up outside of Hollywood.
"It is my strong desire, and not direction to my guardian, that my son, Cooper Hoffman, be raised and reside in or near the borough of Manhattan in the State of New York, or Chicago Illinois, or San Francisco, California," Hoffman stated in the 13-page document, originally signed in October 2004 before his two daughters, Tallulah, seven, and Willa, three, were born.
He added that "if my Guardian cannot reside in any of these cities,” he requested his son “visit these cities at least twice per year…so that my son will be exposed to the culture, arts, and architecture that such cities offer."
However, he left the bulk of his estate to his ex-partner and the mother of his children, costume designer Mimi O’Donnell.
Comments
Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
Community Guidelines
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.
Notifications
Vote
Report Comment
Delete Comment