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Paolo Liuzzo, Princess Beatrice's ex-boyfriend, was discovered dead in a Miami hotel room after an apparent overdose.
Officer Michael Vega of the Miami Police Department confirmed that an overdose death was reported at the CitizenM Miami Worldcenter hotel on February 7, and the investigation is ongoing, although the cause of death has not been officially disclosed.
The princess, daughter of disgraced Prince Andrew, began dating Liuzzo in 2005 at 17 and 24, but they separated in 2006. Liuzzo admitted to struggling with gambling, drugs, and debts with loan sharks. A friend of Liuzzo said he was not doing well on a personal level.
Liuzzo, who initially used pharmaceutical drugs, later transitioned to cocaine and harder substances, a fast lifestyle that he feared would eventually catch up with him. He had previously been arrested in Australia for various drug offenses, including cocaine possession.
Australian man Liuzzo was arrested in 2009 after crashing his $90,000 Audi hire car into traffic lights and failing to pay for accommodation and restaurant bills at Conrad Jupiters casino. Charged with fraud, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, possession of cocaine, and driving without due care, Liuzzo pleaded guilty and was fined $5,000. His controversial past began in 2002 with a manslaughter case.
Liuzzo was involved in a confrontation that occurred on May 5, 2002, in an off-campus apartment complex at 510 Cambridge St., which resulted in the death of his fellow student, 19-year-old Jonathan R. Duchatellier.
Following a charge reduction to assault, Liuzzo was sentenced to community service.
At the time of his romance with Beatrice, Liuzzo, a Woodbury, New York native, was regarded as a socialite in the United States.
Liuzzo and Beatrice got to know each other through common friends, started dating in July 2005, and kept their relationship a secret for nearly a year until calling it quits in May 2006 due to the controversy surrounding the manslaughter conviction.
Prince Andrew and Ferguson supported Beatrice's romance with Liuzzo, despite his criminal past. Beatrice, an 18-year-old with many friends, was invited to a family vacation in Switzerland. However, Liuzzo violated probation by spending time with the Queen's granddaughter and her family in 2006, including Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York. As punishment, he was sent back to the U.S., where his probation was extended, forcing Beatrice to end the romance. The royal couple's decision to end the relationship was a significant event in their lives.
