George Michael is said to have died a "lonely and broken figure" who had become reclusive towards the end of his life, according to a biographer in an upcoming book.
The acclaimed musician had been one of the biggest names in the industry during his career - both as a solo artist and in pop group Wham! - though he wasn't necessarily happy.
He's said to have descended into a tormented and reclusive lifestyle towards the end of his life, with George having passed away of 'natural causes' in late 2016, aged just 53.
The tragic story of his downward spiral is set to be explored in the upcoming biography George Michael: A Life - to be released next month - authored by writer James Gavin.
According to the Daily Mail, the author concludes in the book that George died a "pathetic, lonely and broken figure" and that he had turned to drugs to numb his feelings.
The outlet states that George ended his days as a recluse who binged on junk food and male prostitutes - with him also watching Coronation Street and gorging on ice cream.
The biography is said to reveal that for the last two decades before his death, George descended into drug abuse including smoking marijuana, taking 'industrial quantities' of GHB as well as smoking crystal meth and crack cocaine.
It's claimed that the singer-songwriter's addiction was, in part, related to his inner turmoil over his sexuality - which he had gone to great lengths to conceal during his career.
"That conflict within George, that he knew he was gay but had to lie not only to the world but also to his dad, that was at the root of everything to come," a friend reportedly said.
He was reportedly provided with 'girlfriends' to protect his image and is said to have even booked out an entire restaurant to have dinner because he was paranoid about his privacy.
A friend is quoted as having said: "He was so fearful of anybody finding out about anything. I think his whole life was based on that fear and I think he never reconciled it."
And alongside such anxiety, George experienced his share of heartaches - including the death of his partner Anselmo Feleppa in 1993, who died of an AIDS-related illness.
The biography is said to state that Anselmo had returned to his native Brazil after being diagnosed with AIDS.
George reportedly didn't travel to be with his dying partner though because he was afraid of the potential publicity, with it said to have haunted him to his own dying day.
The death of his partner is said to have prompted George to come out to his parents and it was after Anselmo's death that his drug use is said to have spiralled out of control.
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Just four years after his partner's death, George's beloved mother Lesley Angold died in 1997, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. He reportedly never recovered.
The following year saw George's sexuality become known to fans when he was arrested for 'lewd conduct' after seeking gay sex in a public toilet in Los Angeles.
The biographer reportedly states that George subsequently began relying on ever greater quantities of drugs to numb his feelings - allegedly consuming them from the minute he woke up to the moment he would pass out.
He's said to have been involved in life-threatening incidents during his final years - potentially to end his own life - such as throwing himself out of a moving vehicle in 2013.
It's understood that he was dating Fadi Fawaz at the time, who later said of George : "He wanted to die so badly. [...] I think life stopped for him a long time ago."
Other incidents include spending the night in his swimming pool - which led to hypothermia - and being found unconscious in his bathtub after overdosing on GHB.
George Michael: A Life will be available on July 7.
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