DMX has died after suffering a heart attack at his home on April 2 that left him in a coma for seven days.

The multiplatinum-selling rapper and actor was 50 years old and is survived by his fifteen children. His family in a statement announced his death and noted that more details about his memorial service will be announced later.

“We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50 years old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days. Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him.

“Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized”.

DMX’s lawyer debunks claims of drug overdose

It can be recalled that there were reports on April 3 that Simmons was in critical condition and on life support in a hospital in White Plains, New York, following a cardiac arrest that may have been caused by a drug overdose.

While Simmons’s attorney, Murray Richman, released a statement;that day saying the hip-hop star had been removed from life support and was breathing on his own, he later;explained that he had been misinformed. It was then reported that the rapper was in fact in a vegetative state with;lung and brain failure and no brain activity, the result of suffering oxygen;deprivation to his brain for 30 minutes at time of his heart attack. He had also reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 while hospitalized. On April 7, Simmons underwent a series of tests, which revealed that his brain functionality had not improved.

DMX opens up about drug abuse

Nonetheless, during his lifetime, Simmons was open about his addiction;to crack cocaine (which began when he was 14 years old) and his bipolar disorder. He went to prison twice in the 1980s, and as an adult, after his fame, he;was arrested multiple times for various offenses — including resisting arrest, animal cruelty, reckless driving, drug;possession, weapons possession, aggravated assault, robbery, tax fraud, and identity falsification.

In 2011 he claimed to have conquered his cocaine addiction, but in recent years he had suffered multiple health scares. In 2016, he was found unresponsive in a Ramada Inn parking lot in Yonkers and was;resuscitated by first responders before being taken to the hospital; an eyewitness claimed he had ingested some type of substance, but DMX stated he had collapsed;due to an asthma attack. Simmons famously appeared on the ‘OWN talk series Iyanla: Fix My Life’, in 2013;to discuss his long history of drug abuse, and he reportedly entered rehab facilities in 2017 and 2019.