Philip Seymour Hoffman Diaries Details Release Causes Backlash

In the wake of the untimely death of iconic actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, much has been written about his work and drug problems, but now the media and those with access to his personal information may have gone too far by releasing details about his private diaries.

Considering that the late actor had a longtime girlfriend and three young children, the release of the details of what he was going through in his personal life — aside from his addictions — have been deemed in poor taste.

In the quest for grabbing headlines in the seemingly unending speculation over why exactly Philip Seymour Hoffman died and what was going on in his private life, several outlets are reporting details of the Oscar winner’s diaries.

According to the reports, the actor’s writings show a man who was troubled by “demons” and struggled to control them with Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

The diaries were recovered by police during the search that ensued after the actor was found dead, of an apparent heroin overdose at his Manhattan apartment on February 2.

One source close to the investigation characterized the actor’s words as a “stream of consciousness and difficult to follow,” while another unnamed source said the diaries “definitely contained some soul-searching. But there is also a fair amount of rambling that doesn’t make sense.”

While the police may need to read the diaries to see if there is any evidence that could lead them to Philip Seymour Hoffman suppliers, nobody else should be privy to the confidential information.

Unquestionably, the tabloid types are going to run with the information and start the non-stop publication of every last detail revealed in the actor’s own words.

There is already backlash on social media regarding the new very personal revelations, but it is already too late.

Why is #PhilipSeymourHoffman‘s privacy being covered by the media? The term #RestInPeace actually has meaning.

— D.Lott (@Dlottmusic) February 12, 2014

Re: reporting on this, I recall the college professor who always asked, “What kind of world do you want to live in?” http://t.co/cyI9dzsy5g

— Linda Holmes (@nprmonkeysee) February 12, 2014

Pretty tacky that anon police are offering news orgs Philip Seymour Hoffman’s diary. He has family, asswipes, that might not want it public.

— Kristin Z (@KayZee1012) February 11, 2014

Although the posthumous release of writings from artists is not unheard of — as in the case of Elliott Smith and David Foster Wallace — the pieces of work are usually career related, not personal matters like in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s diaries case.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was a troubled man, we can all agree to that, but must the media continue to dig into his private life after he has only been gone for 10 days? What about the police sources sharing the information with the media?

[Image courtesy of Doubt/Miramax]