Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter has paid tribute to actor Johnny Lewis following his sudden death on Wednesday, insisting he was a talented guy who simply "lost his way".
Katy Perry with her tragic ex, Johnny Lewis, in 2006
The former series star is fell or jumped to his death outside a Los Angeles home just days after his release from jail for assault with a deadly weapon and just months after being sentenced to serve 291 days in prison on first degree burglary charges.
Police officials suspect he killed his 81-year-old landlady, Catherine Davis, and a pet cat before he died, and they claim the actor, who played Kip 'Half-Sack' Epps on the show until 2009, was under the influence of a drug like Phencyclidine (PCP) or methamphetamine at the time of the killings.
Now Sutter has opened up about the tragedy, confessing he knew the actor was on a deadly downward spiral.
In a post on his WhoSay blog, Sutter writes, "Not sure if folks know this yet, but johnny lewis (halfsack) died last night... it was a tragic end for an extremely talented guy, who unfortunately had lost his way.
Katy Perry "knew she had to separate from Johnny Lewis", it is reported
"I wish i could say that i was shocked by the events last night, but i was not. i am deeply sorry that an innocent life had to be thrown into his destructive path. Yes, it's (a) day (of) mourning, but it's also a day of awareness and gratitude. sadly, some of us carry the message by dying."
A number of other celebrities have also paid respect to the tragic 30 year old, who briefly dated singer Katy Perry - her pal, actress Shannon Woodward, wrote, "Johnny Lewis, I love you deeply and madly and always. My heart is broken in a million little pieces. I will miss you every day... (He) was one of my best friends. He was very, very ill. His actions were a despicable result of that. It was not who he was."
And Haylie Duff, whose sister Hilary appeared in musical movie Raise Your Voice alongside Lewis, tweeted, "So sad to hear the news about Johnny Lewis. Such a nice and talented guy. RIP."
Katy Perry is reported to be "devastated" by her ex-boyfriend's death. The Daily Mail reports that the singer, who has yet to comment on his death, knew he was on a self-destructive path when she was dating him back in 2006, and separated from him to focus on her career. Read more here...
Meanwhile producer Josh Schwartz, who worked with the actor on teen drama O.C., added: "Sad news about Johnny Lewis. Hadn't seen him in years but back then he was a very sweet, nice, talented guy. Thoughts to his family."