Lil Peep’s former tour manager is adamant she didn’t give the Long Island rapper any Xanax or fentanyl before his 2017 overdose death and says the upcoming trial over his mom’s wrongful-death lawsuit should be postponed.
Belinda Mercer, who worked as Peep’s road manager during the final days of his “Come Over When You’re Sober” tour, says in new paperwork filed Tuesday that a scheduled Nov. 10 trial is too soon considering all the behind-the-scenes legal wrangling over discovery, depositions and cross-complaints still unfolding.
Peep, whose real name was Gustav Ahr, died Nov. 15, 2017, at the age of 21 on a tour bus in Arizona.
The Pima County Medical Examiner ruled his death an accidental overdose of fentanyl and Xanax.
His mother, Liza Womack, filed her wrongful-death lawsuit in Los Angeles two years later naming Mercer and her son’s agency and label, First Access Entertainment, among the defendants.
In her Tuesday filing, Mercer says Womack “falsely alleges” she gave the emo-rap phenomenon Xanax “on the day prior to his death.”
“Mercer denies the allegation that she gave Mr. Ahr Xanax on 11/14/17 or otherwise caused his death in any way,” her Tuesday filing in Los Angeles County Superior Court states.
“At no time in the week before Gus’ death did I provide Gus with Xanax or fentanyl or instruct Gus to take Xanax or fentanyl,” Mercer said even more bluntly in a statement filed last week.
“At no time on November 14, 2017 did I instruct Gus to take an excessive amount of Xanax – or to take any Xanax or any other drug – to make himself sick,” she said.
In an amended complaint, Womack said the defendants “normalized” and “promoted” her son’s drug use, in part “to maintain a certain degree of control” over him.
A spokesman for First Access Entertainment has called the allegations “categorically untrue.”
“In fact, we consistently encouraged Peep to stop abusing drugs and to distance himself from the negative influence of the drug users and enablers with whom he chose to associate. It is extremely disappointing that Peep’s mother would file this meritless lawsuit,” the spokesman said.
“In spite of our best efforts, he was an adult who made his own decisions,” the rep said.
Womack’s lawyer said Wednesday his client opposes any further delay.
“The plaintiff is very much looking forward to having her day in court by way of the trial in November in her pursuit of justice on behalf of her beloved son Gus,” lawyer Paul A. Matiasic said in an email to the Daily News.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid significantly more potent than heroin, also contributed to the overdose deaths of rapper Mac Miller and music icons Prince and Tom Petty.
Michael Jackson’s family unsuccessfully sued his concert promoter AEG Live for wrongful death after the superstar singer died from an accidental overdose of a surgery-strength anesthetic in 2009.
