The Tragic Death Of Dr. Dre's Son

Dr. Dre (real name: Andre Young) has endured more than his fair share of hardship, from being raised by a teenage single mother to dropping out of high school. These days, the music mogul is a bonafide success — not to mention one of the richest and most powerful men in the business. However, Dre's life hasn't been untouched by tragedy. Two of his brothers died, as per Hollywood.com, and in 2008, the megastar rapper-producer sadly lost his own son, too. As The Sun notes, Dre has fathered seven children over the years in total, from five different mothers. 

Dre's first-born is son Curtis, who was followed by daughters Tyra and La Tonya. He had one son, Marcel, with singer Michel'le, and another son, Andre Young Jr., with Jenita Porter. After marrying his now-estranged wife Nicole Young, they welcomed son Truice and daughter Truly. Devastatingly, Dre lost his namesake — Andre Jr. — too soon.

In August 2008, the Los Angeles Times reported that Andre Jr., Dre's 20-year-old son, had been found dead in his home after spending a night out with friends. Andre Jr. was discovered in bed by his mother just before 10:30 a.m., according to Ed Winter, the coroner's spokesman, who revealed, "She found him unresponsive and called paramedics." An autopsy had been completed but a "gamut of tests, including toxicology" were due to be conducted before the cause of death was confirmed. Dre's rep stated: "Dr. Dre is mourning the loss of his son Andre Young Jr. Please respect his family's grief and privacy at this time." 

Jenita Porter, Andre Jr.'s mother, filed a lawsuit against Dre back in 1990 for $5,000 per month in child support payments, alleging the rapper had yet to come through financially. Dre acknowledged he was the father of the child but only agreed to pay $500 in monthly support. 

According to The Guardian, on the day of Andre Jr.'s death, his mother heard him come home around 5:30 a.m. Police did not suspect foul play. The cause of death was subsequently confirmed as being a result of an overdose of heroin and morphine, as People reported in January 2009. The publication noted friends remembered the deceased as an optimistic person. Young's brother, Curtis, posted a tribute to him in 2014. He wrote, on Twitter, "Andre Young Jr. Missing you lil bro." 

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