Douglas son found dead

THE youngest son of Oscar-winning actor Kirk Douglas has been found dead in a New York apartment building.

Eric Douglas, 46, who battled drug and alcohol problems for years, was discovered on Tuesday. There were no signs of foul play, police said. A post mortem was planned.

Eric was an aspiring actor and comedian, but he never found the success of his father or his Academy Award-winning sibling, Michael. He had a short-lived acting career in the 1980s and early 1990s, playing supporting roles in films such as Delta Force 3: The Killing Game.

The Douglas family was “very shocked and saddened” after learning of the death, said a family spokesman.

Eric struggled with drug and alcohol addictions while repeatedly clashing with the law. In a 2000 interview, he said he spent eight days in a coma after an overdose a year earlier.

Michael Sands, a friend, said Eric had made repeated attempts to get sober. “In the end, he must’ve been in a lot of pain,” he said. “He didn’t know when to stop.”