Messed Up Things That Happened At The Viper Room

Few nights proved more happening than Aug. 14, 1993, on the south side of the Sunset Strip. It marked the launch of Johnny Depp and his business partners' Viper Room, the site of some of the most notorious happenings in Los Angeles. But few in attendance could've predicted the future of the smoke-filled joint, as

Few nights proved more happening than Aug. 14, 1993, on the south side of the Sunset Strip. It marked the launch of Johnny Depp and his business partners' Viper Room, the site of some of the most notorious happenings in Los Angeles. But few in attendance could've predicted the future of the smoke-filled joint, as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers inaugurated the location.

Soon, the Viper Room's siren call attracted a steady stream of A-Listers and music legends. But a tragic event brought the club permanent infamy just two-and-a-half months after opening. On Oct. 31, 1993, actor River Phoenix went into convulsions on the sidewalk in front of the club, suffering an overdose due to lethal levels of cocaine and morphine. Samantha Mathis, Phoenix's girlfriend, and his siblings, Rain and Leaf (a.k.a. Joaquin), witnessed the heartbreaking event, reports The Guardian, unable to save him despite CPR and a call to 911.

Known as the "vegan James Dean," Phoenix's untimely death shocked many who celebrated the actor as an emblem of healthy living and environmentalism. Following the tragic event, Depp closed the Viper Room every October 31 in commemoration of Phoenix's death, reports LA Magazine. And Hollywood tours still stop to point out the spot where the tragedy took place.

Despite the much-publicized death, the Viper Room persisted as a star-studded hangout throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Over the years, it attracted a steady crowd of recognizable faces, including Uma Thurman, Mick Jagger, Tommy Lee, Pamela Anderson, Charlize Theron, Pink, Juliette Lewis, Cameron Diaz, and more.

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