George Michael’s friend reveals what ‘really’ caused singer’s death

On the five-year anniversary of pop legend George Michael’s death, his childhood friend has spoken out about their time together — and the life-changing loss which he believes is responsible for the singer’s early death. 

“George was the love of his life and if he hadn’t died I think George would still be here,” Andros Georgiou, a boyhood friend of Michael’s, told the Mirror of the Wham! star’s greatest love, Brazilian dress designer Anselmo Feleppa.

Feleppa — for whom Michael’s song “Jesus to a Child” is a tribute — died in 1993 after contracting AIDS. He was 33 and a year into his relationship with Michael. 

“After Anselmo, he didn’t find real love, he had a lot of sex and met lots of people but he never found what he had with Anselmo,” said Georgiou.

“I saw how happy they were,” added Georgiou who grew up calling Michael his cousin because their families were so close, but fell out ahead of Michael’s Christmas Day death in 2016, at 53. “I think he was quite lost after Anselmo died, it hit him hard.”

Of Michael’s sex life, Georgiou also recalls him sleeping with some of the world’s most beautiful people — women included. 

“Sometimes George got with women too. In the early days he was bisexual. I can’t name her but he slept with the top model in the world,” Georgiou revealed to the publication. “There was a lot of sex in clubs in New York and London. Cloakrooms and stuff. It was fun and I don’t regret a second of it. I was the luckiest man in pop because I was with George and George was gay and there were queues and queues of models. There were A-list models, A-list pop stars.”

Georgiou says that he is still in mourning for his friend, but that the recent addition of an engraved plaque on Michael’s grave at North London’s Highgate Cemetery has brought him some catharsis.

“I went to see George’s grave and finally I was happy to see a plaque along with his mum and sister,” he said. Michael is buried next to his mother, Lesley, and his sister, Melanie, who died three years to the day after George, aged just 59.

“It was very emotional because it made it real,” added Georgios. “I’m very happy this has happened. It took so long. For a while now I have felt that he has been forgotten.”

In addition to visiting Michael’s grave, Georgios also commemorated the anniversary of his friend’s death by playing much of his music on London Calling Radio FM.

“This time of year is always incredibly hard for me. December is a write-off,” said, but Christmas Eve “I did a radio show and played all of his hits.”