The group’s liberal sexuality and its publication and distribution of writings, photographs and videos advocating and documenting adult-child sexual contact and the sexualization of children led to numerous reports of sexual contact between adults and minors. A number of judicial and academic investigations in the 1990s found the Family to be a safe environment for children, yet such investigations have also highlighted troubles in its past. Family leadership, admitting only that that some children were abused from 1978 until 1985, created policies prohibiting excessive discipline or any sexual contact between adults and minors.

This kind of turns my stomach TO know that River and his family was involve in this

yes well River didn't have much of a choice. The Phonenix's left the cult when he was 7 years old.
In a magazine called details he claimed that he lost his virginity there at 4 years of age. Even Rob Reiner said that River went through something tramatizing and thats why his crying scene was so convincing in Stand By Me...Rob took him aside and told him to think of a time an adult did something wrong to him, and Rob makes it sound like it was something terrible...(walking the tracks...found on the DVD).
River announced a second virginity at 14 (trying to repress what happened to him in the past) and he had sex with an 18 yr old in his backyard in a tent that his parents made for the occasion. (see his biography by John Glatt).

Ok. I still cant believe that a parent would do something like that to there kid. But i guess it could be way worse.

I agree, I can't believe it either...his parents were messed up I don't care what anyone says.

I mean, I know they loved him in their special way, but I don't think hey were good parents..pretty negligent if u ask me.

Yah.

Allowing your children to be subjected to that kind of abuse and be okay with it is fucked up. His upbringing definitely messed him up thus leading him to drugs and to his death.

But what about other children who are raised in similar situations or even worse, who don't turn to drugs. I think it's mainly River's fault. He made the choice.

We all know that he choose to do drugs and no one is denying that, but there are environmental factors that influenced his decision to do so too. Everyone is different...we react to situations differently. For example, in life, River wanted to experience everything but he was also very vulnerable...as someone he knew once said: "there was no barrier between him and the world" ( see a&e bio) and I think that had alot to do with his upbringing. Sure there are ppl that go through tramatizing experiences and do not turn to drugs...but did they turn out to be millionaire movie stars with parents who led them to believe they were the messiah since the day of birth? I guess it hit him hard when he realised they were full of shit and his whole childhood was a lie. What about having to support his family? It sounds like he had alot of weight on his shoulders. Celebrities have drugs availible at their fingertips for free and most do experiment to say the least. He was also part of the rock scene where other bands couldn't stand him because he was an actor and they felt he got gigs because of his status...so to fit in and not be hated he did some drugs with them. What about his role in MOPI where he was surrounded by drug addicts? Anyways, I don't think its right that he gets called a "junkie" because a junkie is a person that is addicted to heroin. He did coke for the most part and sometimes mixed with heroin...his friends say that he NEVER injected heroin with a needle. The night he died. he supposedly didn't even know what he was taking..a "Friend" of his said to him in the VR bathroom.."try this" and it was in a little vile...and well u all know what happened from there.
Whatever man, i'm not going to judge River because of the way he died...it's fucking sad is what it is.

"Whatever man, i'm not going to judge River because of the way he died...it's fucking sad is what it is."
Then how about judging him by the way he lived <---- as a drug user

"Anyways, I don't think its right that he gets called a "junkie" because a junkie is a person that is addicted to heroin. He did coke for the most part and sometimes mixed with heroin...his friends say that he NEVER injected heroin with a needle. The night he died. he supposedly didn't even know what he was taking"

Yea right...he didn't know he was taking drugs. Come on! Listen, River took a lot of bad drugs for a long time. He like being high. And why does it matter HOW you take heroin. So, Im a better person if I only snort heroin rather than injecting it.

yes he knew he was taking drugs, he didn't know what was in it when he took it.

When u inject heroin with a needle,u get a longer lasting effect...ppl that only take the drug recreationally usually sniff it because they have not developed a high drug tolerance to it...i.e they are not heroin addicts..THEREFORE NOT A JUNKIE!!! Who knows, maybe he would have become addicted to it and started taking injections...or maybe he would have seeked help.

When I say he didn't know what was in it when he took it, I mean the night he died he didn't know what was in the cocktail. If u watch the a&e biography it is mentioned.

One more thing : He didn't only LIVE as a drug user u ****tard, that was my point when I said that I wouldn't judge him by the way he died, and I'm not denying that he took drugs but there was so much more to him than that. He was a very caring person,he was an activist: he bought acres of rainforrests just to ensure that it wouldn't become demolished, he cared about animals. He always helped ppl in time of need...he was a musician and an excellent young actor in my opinion.

But he was also a junkie

i cant believe people are still discussing it, he was a heavy drug user, a junkie and he died, his upbringing didnt help but end of the day

RIVER WAS A JUMKIE, HE TOOK DRUGS, HE OD'D AND HE DIED

END OF STORY

who are u GOD? The story will end on its own not when u say it should.

There is to much conflicting information out there to come out and say he was a junkie. Yes, he died from an overdose..but there are many ppl that say that he was not an addict.

He was only heavy into drugs when he was around other drug users. Certain members from RHCP co-workers from MOPI..he'd do it in binges, he was able to go weeks without it..he went 2 months without touching any drugs the night he died..and his mother even said that he wasn't an addict. So whatever..u f'n ppl can believe hearsay shit and I'll go with the facts.

Where are you getting your facts? Oh yea, we can always believe an addict's mother when she says her boy wasn't hooked. Jeez!

"So whatever..u f'n ppl can believe hearsay shit and I'll go with the facts."
What facts? The facts say he was an addict. Prove otherwise.

Actually, the facts indicate that he wasn't an addict. I already explained myself in my previous posts and I gave references (his bios ect). I'm sorry if the masses do not understand the meaning of the word "addiction"...a person that can go weeks and months without doing drugs is NOT an addict. A person who craves a drug EVERYDAY to the point where they are impaired is considered a drug addict. He did it whenever he was with ppl who were drugs abusers and that wasn't everyday ...In his bios there's alot of hearsay to with ppl saying "well, he appeared to be high" So If u want to go with that fine! But, thats a pretty weak argument. Ppl have said that River seemed out of touch with reality WITHOUT being on drugs. Those who knew him best have come out and said he wasn't an addict...he was doing alot of drugs only when he was around ppl like RHCP ect.
ALSO, just the fact that he died from the cocktail that was given to him should give u ppl an indication that he did not develop a high drug tolerance..and that is EXACTLY what his friend meant when he said in the A&e bio that doing drugs in binges every couple of weeks can be more dangerous than doing it everyday. The reason why his family doesn't want to come out and talk is because of imbeciles like yourselves who wouldn't believe a word that came out of there mouths and would just misconstrue everything focusing on the way he died rather than the way he lived. To leave you all with a paraphrase by Sasa Raphael (the bassist from Aleka's Attic) "To take one moment and time to explain a persons entire existence is extemely NARROW-MINDED and inaccurate"

He needed to find a healthy way to manage stressful situations, instead he chose "quick-fixes" where he could escape himself. I believe it is possible that he could have turned into an addict, but to say he was an addict while he lived is wrong. He was a drug user..not an addict. He needed a wake up call...instead he died. But, those are the risks u take when u do hardcore drugs...

I strongly agree the children of god messed with rio's head and let to his downfall!

interesting topic!

yeah his upbringing was definitely messed up...........i felt so sorry for him........all the shit he had to go through in his life.......i feel so bad..........such a beautiful soul gone forever............

OK.. Im from the uk and obviously there are different meanings for words over here so dont jump down my throat if you all mean something different but ... you all keep talking about river getting high on heroin, but heroin is a downer as is vallium, you dont get high from them, at best you take heroin remain standing for 2 mins then fall asleep/ fall into a coma untill the drug has been broken down. Over here that doesnt class as being high

Hey Donna!

I use the term "getting high" for any substance that alters your perception or gives you a false sense of well being when using drugs, no matter if they are uppers or downers.

First of all River was an amazing actor and a decent person who tried to bring good things to this world.
You people are sitting her aguing and getting pissed at each other over drugs and how he died. Get over it already, stop focusing on that one tiny aspect of his life. Instead celebrate his life, discuss his life, and the positive good things about it. Don't endlessly argue about whether he was an addict or not, that is irrelevant. Focus on the positive.
Think about it this way: if you were an actor who did many good things in your life and who was very talented...and you somehow got caught up in drugs and happened to overdose one of those times...would you want people 13 years later arguing endlessly over whether or not you were an addict? I think he would turn in his grave reading what you people are writing about him.
Get over it.

"You people are sitting her aguing and getting pissed at each other over drugs and how he died. Get over it already, stop focusing on that one tiny aspect of his life. Instead celebrate his life, discuss his life, and the positive good things about it."

You know, if that's the way you feel (and there seem to be a lot of new people around these days who make the same "argument"), then maybe, just MAYBE, you shouldn't be visiting a message board entitled "THE DEATH OF RIVER PHOENIX DISCUSSION FORUM." Did that thought ever occur to you? Obviously not. If you don't like people discussing River's death and the way he died (DRUGS), then perhaps you should do a search for a website called something along the lines of "Worshipping River Phoenix Without Letting Reality Get In The Way."

Just a thought.

If the family were involved they realized it was a mistake and GOT OUT! Lets forgive them if indeed that did happen that way. Rivers family are very loving!