The former boyfriend of Princess Beatrice died following a suspected drug overdose in a Miami hotel, new details have revealed.
Paolo Liuzzo, 41, was discovered deceased in February at the CitizenM Miami WorldCenter Hotel, Miami, per the Telegraph.
Although his death occurred earlier this year, details of the tragedy have only recently come to light.
Sources close to the situation suggest that Liuzzo battled with substance abuse and gambling, culminating in substantial debts owed to loan sharks.
Princess Beatrice, who began her relationship with Liuzzo at the age of 17 back in 2005, received the devastating news amidst her mother Sarah Ferguson's announcement of her battle with skin cancer.
Liuzzo's past was not without controversy, particularly his relationship with Princess Beatrice, which gained attention due to his history.
The couple's relationship news emerged following sightings together on a skiing trip in Verbier, Switzerland, despite Liuzzo being subject to a probation order related to an earlier incident involving alleged manslaughter in the United States.
Despite the noise surrounding their romance, Liuzzo and Beatrice parted ways, with Liuzzo later downplaying their connection.
He expressed to The Times: "I wasn't sure I wanted to get in that deep with Bea. I loved her, but I wasn't in love with her."
Following the split, Princess Beatrice found love again, notably with Uber executive Dave Clark, before ultimately marrying property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a private ceremony in Windsor in 2020.
The couple now shares a daughter named Sienna, and Beatrice is a stepmother to Edoardo's son, Wolfie, from a previous relationship.
Further complications arose for Liuzzo in 2009 when he faced legal troubles involving motoring offenses, fraud, and cocaine possession following a car crash on Australia's Gold Coast.
Miami Police Department Officer Michael Vega confirmed authorities responded to the hotel room where Liuzzo passed away at 3:22 pm on February 7, with his time of death recorded just 12 minutes later.
Vega stated: "It was investigated as an overdose death. The investigation is open and ongoing."
A close friend of Liuzzo revealed to The Sun: "Paolo was not doing great on a personal level. He loved to party and gamble. He began using a lot of pharmaceutical drugs 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's funeral took place on February 16 in his hometown of Long Island, New York.
