Princess Beatrice's ex-boyfriend Paolo Liuzzo has been found dead from a suspected overdose in a hotel room in Miami. Miami Police Department Officer Michael Vega told The Sun that police responded to a room at the citizenM Miami Worldcenter hotel at 3:22 p.m. on February 7.
Vega said that while the official cause of death has not been confirmed, the incident is being treated as an overdose death. He further mentioned that the investigation remains open and ongoing. Princess Beatrice, the daughter of the disgraced Prince Andrew, reportedly began dating Paolo Liuzzo in 2005 when she was 17 years old and he was 24. However, their relationship ended in 2006.
Broken Relationship and a Death
According to insiders cited by The Sun, Liuzzo struggled with gambling as well as drugs, and it is believed that he had accrued debts with loan sharks. A friend of Liuzzo shared with The Sun that he was not doing great on a personal level.
"He began using a lot of pharmaceutical drugs at first but that later led to cocaine and harder drugs. It was a very fast lifestyle and we all feared it would catch up with him eventually."
Liuzzo reportedly had battles with drug addiction and was previously arrested in Australia for various offenses, including possession of cocaine.
In September 2009, Liuzzo was arrested on the Gold Coast after crashing a hired black Audi worth $90,000 into traffic lights. He also failed to settle bills for accommodation and restaurant expenses at Conrad Jupiters casino.
Australian authorities charged Liuzzo with fraud, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, possession of two grams of cocaine, and driving without due care and attention. He pleaded guilty and was fined $5,000.
His controversial history dates back to 2002 when he faced charges of manslaughter involving a fellow student at the College of the Holy Cross.
Liuzzo's fellow student Jonathan R. Duchatellier, 19, died as a result of an altercation that occurred on May 5, 2002, at an off-campus apartment building located at 510 Cambridge St, which involved Liuzzo.
Liuzzo initially faced a charge of manslaughter, but it was later reduced to assault. He served a community sentence in connection with the incident.
Troubled Past
Liuzzo, originally from Woodbury, New York, was regarded as a U.S. socialite during his relationship with Beatrice. He first met Beatrice through mutual friends and began dating in July 2005.
They managed to keep their romance under wraps for nearly a year but the relationship came to an end in May 2006 when reports of Liuzzo's manslaughter charge surfaced, causing a sensation.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson reportedly supported Beatrice's relationship with Liuzzo, despite the seven-year age gap and his criminal history.
Beatrice's mother expressed confidence in her daughter's judgment when the relationship began, stating, "We all have our own journeys and have to learn our way but Beatrice is a sensible girl, soon to be 18, with many friends including Paolo."
The royal couple even invited Liuzzo on a family vacation to the exclusive Swiss ski resort Verbier. However, it later emerged that Liuzzo had violated the terms of his probation to accompany the Queen's granddaughter and her family, including Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, to Switzerland in 2006.
As a consequence, Liuzzo was called back to the U.S., where the courts extended his three-year probation as a penalty, ultimately leading Beatrice to terminate the budding romance.
In 2007, Liuzzo caused embarrassment for the Royal Family by alleging that marijuana was smoked in the presence of Princess Beatrice, her sister Eugenie, and their mother, Sarah Ferguson, while they vacationed in Jamaica.
He was part of a group of eight people, including the princesses, who went on a 10-day holiday to the Caribbean in 2005.
Describing himself as a playboy, Liuzzo admitted to being unfaithful to Beatrice during their relationship and claimed that she had wanted to introduce him to the Queen.
Beatrice was reportedly devastated when their relationship came to an end, and she returned to Goldsmiths, a part of the University of London.
According to Liuzzo's death certificate, he worked as a consultant in the art industry and never married. His body was transported to Long Island, New York, where he grew up, and a funeral was held on February 16.
