River Phoenix’s sister, Rain, makes a surprising revelation decades after his death

Rain Phoenix has revealed how the devastating loss of her brother, Hollywood icon River Phoenix, ultimately led her to a deeper understanding of life and death. In a personal essay published on Another Jane Pratt Thing on Substack to mark the anniversary of River’s passing, Rain reflected on the experience of losing her brother at just 23 years old following a drug overdose outside The Viper Room in 1993. “When I was 20, my brother River died,” she wrote. “The experience of losing him was unimaginably painful and traumatic – further compounded by the intense media coverage around his tragic death, which felt invasive and cruel.”

At the time, Rain said she coped by “shutting it out,” but later realised that this emotional distance “somehow kept him from me”. She added: “Now, 32 years and many losses later, a deepening curiosity about death, grief and how we as a society process it has come alive for me,” she shared.

The actress and musician, who is also the sister of Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, explained that she has since cultivated a “very vibrant relationship with death,” even training to become a death doula, someone who helps people navigate the dying process with care and compassion.

She explained that her interest intensified during the pandemic. Rain said her anxiety at the time prompted her to take an online death doula course, and, in her words, “write a million songs.”

Through exploring what she calls the death-positive movement, which encourages open conversation about death and dying, Rain says she’s discovered unexpected peace – and even joy – in confronting mortality directly. Exploring death may actually lead to greater happiness in life, she said.

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River Phoenix had his breakthrough role in Stand by Me in 1986, which made him a household name, and his final completed film was The Thing Called Love in 1993. In 1988, River was just 17 when he was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Donny Pope in the drama Running On Empty, before starring in films such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, My Own Private Idaho, and Sneakers. River was also a talented musician and formed the band Aleka’s Attic with his sister Rain.

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The young entertainer was struggling with drug abuse, which unfortunately caused his tragic passing. He was just 23 years old when he collapsed outside The Viper Room, a Los Angeles nightclub part-owned by Johnny Depp.

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On the night of October 31, River had been performing at the venue with his band when he suddenly became unwell on the sidewalk. Despite efforts by paramedics, he was pronounced dead in the early hours of November 1. A coroner’s report later confirmed he had died of a drug overdose.