Avicii’s dad reveals 'excruciatingly painful' intervention before late DJ’s death aged 28
Avicii's dad has shared 'excruciatingly painful' details regarding an intervention which took place prior to the DJ's tragic passing.
Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, died by suicide at the age of 28 in Muscat, Oman in 2018.
Bergling had shot to fame in 2011 thanks to the popularity of his breakthrough song 'Levels'. However the musician was struggling behind closed doors, with a combination of poor mental health, the pressures of fame and continuous live performances leading him to retire from the touring two years prior to his death.
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Avicii's life and story is currently being revisited after Netflix released its documentary Avicii - I'm Tim at the end of last year which offers fans a glimpse into the late DJ's life and inner thoughts.
Directed by Henrik Burman, I'm Tim is made up of a mixture of narration and previous footage of Bergling alongside interviews with his industry peers, friends and family.
In one particularly heartbreaking moment, Bergling's father Klas revealed what happened when an intervention was organised for the DJ prior to his death.
Klas explained the decision to hold an intervention was a joint one between himself and his son's touring manager Arash 'Ash' Pournouri in order to help the star navigate the pressure of being famous.
Recalling the moment Avicii realised what was happening, Klas said: "As he approached, he could see all of us there. It was excruciatingly painful to see the look in his eyes. Oh man, that was really rough."
Klas then explained that Bergling had been 'furious' by the intervention at first, adding: "Everyone shared how concerned they were, and Tim… at first, he was pretty furious.
"He refused to give in. But eventually, something made him say, 'Fine, I’ll get help.' I said, 'Okay, thank you.' It finally registered. We were thrilled. It got through to him."
After accepting support from a series of doctors and psychiatrists, Avicii would begin to make healthy changes to both his professional and personal life - which included walking away from the gruelling touring schedules.
Elsewhere in the documentary, the DJ's close friend Jesse Waits spoke about his death, expressing regret at not being able to help his late friend.
“I know this is something that is inevitable, but if I was there I could have fixed it,” he said.
“Whatever he was going through, I'd be like, 'F**king shut the f**k up, f**king put your shoes on, and let's go out f**king outside for a walk.
"I'm sure everybody feels that they could have changed something, especially his family."
You can stream Avicii – I’m Tim on Netflix.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Netflix
Brenna Cooper