Free INFAMOUS SCANDALS (True Crime) by Anne Williams, Vivian Head Page A

River Phoenix himself had taken to making angry remarks on the subject of the cult, but it was not until his death that the American press and public realised just how severely disturbed his mental state had become as a result of this, and other pressures.
     
    T HE RISE OF A STAR
     
    He was born River Jude Bottom in Metolius, Oregon, on 23 August 1970 to John Lee Bottom and Arlyn Sharon Dunetz. His parents had adopted the name Phoenix and were missionaries of the Children of God and travelled throughout South America, trying to convert people to the cause. River was named after the River of Life in Herman Hesse’s novel Siddhartha , and his middle name came from the song ‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles. He and his siblings, Joaquin, Rain, Summer and Liberty, grew up without the usual trappings of modern life, and the family lived most of their time with very little money. Travelling around the world, the children witnessed scenes that made them grow up very fast. Legend has it that Joaquin, aged four, persuaded his family to stop eating meat after seeing fishermen killing fish on a trawler by banging their heads against the boat. As an adult, River continued to be a vegan, and refused to wear leather, even using a rope instead of a belt to hold up his trousers.
    All the siblings pursued careers in the entertainment business: like River, Joaquin, Rain, Summer and Liberty became actors, although Liberty gave up acting while still only a child. This path was encouraged by their parents. While still in his teens, River had a major role in the movie Stand By Me , which brought him public acclaim in 1986. After this success, he went on to garner more important roles and at the age of only 18 was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Running on Empty in 1988. River went on to star in films such as My Own Private Idaho, Sneakers , and The Thing Called Love , becoming one of America’s most successful young actors, and making friends with such stars as Keanu Reeves. On the set of The Thing Called Love he met his girlfriend Samantha Mathis, who was present on the night he died.
     
    AN EMBARRASSED IDOL
     
    As well as his career as a movie star, River also had his own band, Aleka’s Attic, and became friends with artists such as Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Michael Stipe of REM. According to many sources, it was music rather than acting that was his real passion. However, the income he was making from his movie career was helping to keep his family, so he continued to make films. He was not very happy about being presented as a teen idol, and actually found his fame embarrassing. He very seldom smiled in photographs and was reported to be disgusted by representations of himself as a sex symbol.
    Unlike many young movie stars on the 1990s, River Phoenix was extremely critical of the drug culture pervading Hollywood, and he made a point of discussing the virtues of a vegan diet and holistic medicine when he was interviewed. He was also critical of the political and social system of the United States, at a time when radicalism was very unpopular in the country. He made it clear that he considered the prevailing culture to be morally corrupt and had tried to live differently from his peers by refusing to take drugs, eat meat, or medicate himself in the conventional way.
    Towards the end of his life, he began to criticise the way he was brought up, alleging that he had lost his virginity when aged only four, and saying that he found the Children of God cult disgusting because ‘it ruined people’s lives’. He went on to add that, although the sexual abuse happened when he was still under five, after that he had remained celibate until he reached adulthood.
     
    D RUG OVERDOSE
     
    Although he was so successful, River suffered from depression and was also given to compulsive behaviour at times, which included substance abuse. Commentators have suggested that this was due to his childhood trauma of sexual abuse, although