Eric Bolling Jr. Was On Cocaine, Harmful Drugs Night Before Death: Friend

The son of former Fox News host Eric Bolling, who was found dead in his bed at his apartment in Boulder, Colorado, on Sept. 8, was on cocaine and other drugs during a party the night before his death, his friend has told the Daily Mail. Referring to the reports that suggested that the 19-year-old may have killed himself, his close friend Wayne Carter, 21, said the teenager would have never done that.

Carter talked to the Daily Mail about Eric Jr.'s illicit substance consumption at the party, adding he was also sending his videos to friends via messaging app Snapchat at the time. Carter revealed that Eric Jr. had once taken heroin but the night before his death he was sticking to "just college drugs — cocaine, weed, alcohol, Xanax sometimes."

Earlier, reports claimed that Eric Jr. was under "emotional torture" due to his father's sexting scandal that led to his exit from Fox News. He died hours after his father left the network after being suspended in August over claims of sending pictures of male genitals to female co-workers. "He (Eric Jr.) was very into his dad and looked up to his dad a lot," Carter said. "I'm not saying his life choices revolved around his dad but his dad was a huge role model in his life.

"You'd go to a party and he was a cool guy but he'd be like, 'Oh guys, do you know who my dad is?' And we'd be like, 'Yes Eric, we know who your dad is!'"

Recounting Eric Jr.'s behavior after the alleged sexting scandal came to light, Carter said the University of Colorado Boulder student would keep most of his emotions within himself.

Carter said Eric Jr. wouldn't tell him anything directly "because he was so proud of his dad. But clearly inside, it was eating him up." However, Carter also said that Eric Jr. would never intentionally take his own life. He also said the partying and drug use was what "did it for him" in the end.

"I'll put it like this — he was a partier. I don't think he would have intentionally done it [killed himself]. But I definitely think he upped it once when he heard that news and that's what caused his demise," Carter told the Daily Mail.

Carter, who spent the Wednesday and Thursday morning with his friend before his death, said he did not notice anything peculiar. "He was fine," he told Daily Mail. "Seemed like everything was normal, just like how we always hung out. Good mood, super energetic. Looked like he had no worries. [We talked about] girls, sports, working out, our friends. He was talking about his trip because he just got back from New York."

The autopsy of Eric Jr. has been completed but the result has not been released. While it is believed that he killed himself, a toxicology test could confirm if there were any drugs in his system before he died.

Eric Sr. confirmed his son's death in a tweet last week: "Adrienne and I are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Eric Chase last night. Details still unclear. Thoughts, prayers appreciated," he wrote. "Authorities have informed us there is no sign of self harm at this point. Autopsy will be next week. Please respect our grieving period." Eric Jr. was the only child the former Fox News host had with his wife, Adrienne.