Treatment providers are waiting for your call:
(855) 826-4464
Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches
Lake Worth, FL
View Center ⟶
Featured Podcast
Episode 21 – Social Media Addiction
Read More ⟶
A Crisis On World Mental Health Day
Read More ⟶
Common Questions About Rehab
Featured Articles
Introducing Dr. Ashish Bhatt
Read More ⟶
Holdout State Joins Johnson & Johnson Settlement
Read More ⟶
by Emily Murray | September 9, 2021 ❘
Emmy nominated actor Michael K. Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment on Monday, September 6th, 2021. The 54-year-old, best known for playing Omar Little on HBO’s “The Wire,” more than once spoke publicly about his substance use. He described addiction as an everyday struggle that he had to continue to fight.
In a 2012 interview with Inside Jersey, Williams made it clear that his openness on the subject was intended to help others. The actor said, “God saved me for a purpose. So, I decided to get clean and then come clean. I’m hoping I can reach that one person.”
Learn More ⟶
Williams, whose mother was an immigrant from the Bahamas, had a childhood characterized by sexual molestation and bullying. By age 19, Williams had developed a substance use problem and was already experiencing the cycle of treatment and relapse. To maintain his dependency on illicit substances, the actor turned to credit card fraud and carjacking which ultimately left him with an arrest record. At age 25, a mugger took a razor blade to his chest and face and gave Williams his signature face scar. The next day William’s mother took out a second insurance policy on his life and told the actor he was not likely to live past the age of 30.
Williams’ struggles with addiction continued as his acting career began. During his time on “The Wire,” Williams got lost in the character of Omar Little, a notorious robber in the Baltimore drug scene. To cope with the intense character traits of Little, Williams began using Cocaine. According to the New York Times, he spent most of his earnings from the show on drugs which led to him being kicked out of his apartment. He began living out of hotels and also the floor of a drug house in Newark, NJ. Producers of “The Wire” have said they knew he was struggling and that they refrained from firing him in fear of how it could have worsened his substance use.
In his 2012 interview, Williams credited a pastor at Christian Love Baptist Church in Irvington, NJ with helping the actor to get clean. Reverend Ronald Christian, who passed away in 2015, was the first person that Williams felt he could be completely open with.
“I laid it all out. It was the first time I really laid everything out to anyone. I was a total stranger to him, but I felt very comfortable with him,” Williams told Inside Jersey.
The current pastor at the New Jersey church, Brandon K. Washington, has said that Williams would visit the parish unannounced a few times each year. “All the times he would come, he would always reference his struggles. He was always confident in his relationship with God,” Washington said.
Williams continued to be open about his struggles with addiction up until February 2020 when he spoke at an event for former prisoners seeking to re-enter society. He told the group, “This Hollywood thing that you see me in, I’m passing through. Because I believe this is where my passion, my purpose are supposed to be.”
Although the cause and manner of Williams’s death have not yet been confirmed, officials have said that Williams likely overdosed. The New York Police Department found drug paraphernalia and what appeared to be Heroin on the kitchen table in the actor’s apartment. Williams’ possible drug overdose may be added to a list of recent celebrity drug related deaths that speak to the Opioid epidemic in the US.
Along with Williams, 2 comedians, Faquan Johnson and Enrico Colangeli, were found dead at a party in Los Angeles this past Saturday. Their deaths were determined to be overdoses after ingesting Cocaine that was laced with Fentanyl, a synthetic Opioid which can be 80 to 100 times stronger than Morphine. This substance has been frequently found laced with other substances like Heroin, pain pills, Cocaine, and even Marijuana over the past few years.
Because Fentanyl is cheaper to produce and lighter to transport, manufacturers of illicit substances may be using it for economical reasons. It is also possible that the substance becomes laced with others as a result of cross-contamination. In either case, it is extremely dangerous when those who do not have a tolerance for Fentanyl or other Opioids unknowingly consume it. Additionally, Fentanyl is almost impossible to visibly detect so determining how much has been laced is very difficult. These factors can lead to unintentional overdoses which have been on the rise. In 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths were reported in a 12-month period at 81,000 in May. Of these reported drug related deaths, synthetic Opioids were the primary cause which increased by 38%.
Will Your Insurance Cover Rehab?
Find Out
Addiction Center is not affiliated with any insurance.
Michael K. Williams was open about his struggle with substance use in an effort to help others. He wanted to let others know that an addiction doesn’t just go away and that recovery is something to work towards everyday. If Williams’ death is proven to be an overdose, along with Johnson’s and Colangeli’s deaths, they will speak to the Opioid crisis in the US which has caused an increased amount of unintentional deaths.
Last Edited: September 27, 2021
Emily Murray
Emily Murray is a Digital Content Writer at Addiction Center. She earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with Behavioral/Social Sciences and Art concentrations along with a Journalism minor from the University of Central Florida. Emily spent five years capturing many magical memories for people from all over the World as a photographer at Walt Disney World. Dedicated to creativity and conciseness, Emily hopes her words can be of service to those affected by addiction.
Find Out How ⟶
Get confidential help 24/7. Call now for:
Find Out
Addiction Center is not affiliated with any insurance.
Learn What You Can Do ⟶
Get professional rehab and addiction education from a qualified doctor today!
Learn More ⟶
Hayley Hudson ❘ December 17, 2020
A small device was created by researchers that uses hyperventilating as a means to reduce alcohol intoxication.
Read More ⟶
Nathan Yerby ❘ October 3, 2019
Franklin County, the most populous county in Ohio, lost ten residents to drug overdoses in just 26 hours, according to the county coroner.
Read More ⟶
Krystina Murray ❘ January 30, 2020
A man has recently had surgery to implant a DBS chip in his brain to help him curb his cravings for Opioids and Benzodiazepines.
Read More ⟶
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Verify Here
Addiction Center supports SAMHSA
Addiction Center receives advertising payments from the treatment centers that answer calls to the toll free numbers listed on the websites and is not associated with any specific treatment provider. Addiction Center receives advertising payments from the treatment providers that respond to chat requests on the websites and is not associated with any specific treatment provider. Addiction Center is not a medical provider or treatment facility and does not provide medical advice. Addiction Center does not endorse any treatment facility or guarantee the quality of care provided, or the results to be achieved, by any treatment facility. The information provided by Addiction Center is not a substitute for professional treatment advice.
Confidentially speak with a treatment provider:
Call (855) 826-4464
A treatment facility paid to have their center promoted here. Learn more about how to be featured in a paid listing.
Treatment providers are available to offer 24/7 assistance:
Make a Call (855) 826-4464
– Or –
Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Calls to the website’s main phone number will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed below, each of which is a paid advertiser:
Chats will be received and answered by one of treatment providers listed below, each of which is a paid advertiser: