'Friday' Star Anthony 'AJ' Johnson's Cause Of Death Revealed

February 09, 2022

The Friday film franchise spawned a number of lovable characters, including Smokey (played by Chris Tucker), Pops (played by the late John Witherspoon) and Deebo (played by the late Tiny Lister Jr.). But even the smaller roles made a lasting impression.

Anthony “AJ” Johnson, who portrayed the neighborhood crackhead Ezal, made a lasting impression in the 1995 original. But like Witherspoon and Lister, he won’t be making it to another Friday film — if a fourth installment ever does happen.



Anthony Johnson passed away last September at the age of 55 and now, there’s a cause of death. According to TMZ, the actor/comedian died due to “chronic ethanol abuse,” meaning he drank himself to death.

The medical examiner also noted the manner of his death was “natural” and no alcohol or common drugs of abuse came up in his toxicology test. And while the coroner’s office found he’d recently tested positive for COVID-19, there were no signs of pneumonia at the time of death either.

Johnson’s widow Lexis wants people to know the dangers of drinking and plans to teach teenagers at her church about the potential outcomes of substance abuse.

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