LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Ariana Grande on Friday spoke publicly for the first time about the death of her former boyfriend Mac Miller, writing on social media that he was "the kindest, sweetest soul with demons he never deserved."
Miller was found unresponsive at his home in Studio City, California, and pronounced dead there at age 26, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said in a statement on Sept. 7.
In a message on her official Instagram account on Friday, the 25-year-old Grande said she "adored" Miller from the day she met him when she was 19.
"You were my dearest friend. for so long," Grande wrote alongside a video of Miller. "i’m so sorry i couldn’t fix or take your pain away. i really wanted to. the kindest, sweetest soul with demons he never deserved."
"i'm so mad, i’m so sad i don’t know what to do," she added.
Celebrity website TMZ reported that Miller died of an apparent drug overdose. Reuters could not confirm that. Miller, whose real name was Malcolm McCormick (NYSE:MKC), had discussed his use of drugs, particularly the misuse of prescription cough syrup, in media interviews and rap lyrics.
The coroner's office did not release the cause of death, saying an autopsy was pending.
Miller first gained a following at age 18 with his mixtape "K.I.D.S." in 2010, and early in his career was known for party-style songs with videos that went viral.
After his 2011 debut "Blue Side Park" was released by an independent label and topped the charts, Miller turned to jazz and funk influences on later albums. Those releases often received praise from critics, but did not perform as well commercially as his first album.