Lindsay Lohan paid tribute to her late ex-boyfriend, Pink Taco founder Harry Morton, who was found dead in his Beverly Hills home at the age of 38, with a touching Instagram post.
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The business owner, and son of Hard Rock Café co founder Peter Morton, 72, is said to have been found unresponsive by a relative on Saturday, TMZ reports.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. Foul play is not said to be suspected and an autopsy is pending.
Lohan paid tribute to Morton, who she dated in 2006, on Sunday by sharing a black and white Instagram photo of them together at the Venice Film Festival with the caption: 'Best friends. Best life.'
Harry founded the popular restaurant chain Pink Taco in 1999 when he was just 18-years-old, which is frequented by celebrity customers including comedian Russell Brand and actor Johnny Depp.
He came from a long line of famous restaurateurs. His father co-founded the Hard Rock Café in 1971 and his grandfather, Arnie, co-founded Morton's Steakhouse in 1978.
A source close to Lohan says the actress has been left devastated by Morton's sudden death.
'She's been phoning friends crying hysterically after Morton's death. Harry's friends have all been texting each other getting the word out,' a source told Radar.
The two met at her 20th birthday party in July 2006 and soon after were spotted at the Venice Film Festival together for the premiere of her movie Bobby.
After dating Lohan, Morton was linked to Demi Moore, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Reports also linked him to Jennifer Aniston and Hayden Panettiere, according to TMZ.
Following his death Lindsay's mom Dina is said to have posted an image of her daughter with Harry to Instagram, writing: ' RIP Harry God has an angel, we love you! Prayers to the family.'
Morton worked at his father's Hard Rock Cafe before branching out on his own. He started business school at NYU and went on to open his first Pink Taco in 1999.
The restaurant chain released a statement in light of Morton's death.
'We are saddened by the passing of Harry Morton, the founder and former owner of Pink Taco. Harry was a visionary and restaurateur ahead of his time, and his contributions, both professionally to our brand and personally to those he worked with, were numerous. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends during this difficult time,' Pink Taco said in a statement to People Magazine.
He also bought the Viper Room nightclub in 2008, previously partly owned by Johnny Depp. River Phoenix died there of a drug overdose in 1993.
Reports suggest he no longer owns the bar but he appears to have also invested in celebrity favorite and vaudeville themed club Beacher’s Madhouse.
And Harry also owned Elvis Presley's former Beverly Hills estate. He bought that for nearly $26million in March of this year.
His dad had owned the home, too, selling it after two years in 2014.
It is not thought the younger Morton died in that residence but another of his homes in the area.
Morton is survived by both of his parents, Peter Morton and Paulene Stone.
His half-sister, the model Domino Harvey, died in 2005 of a drug overdose.
In addition to his work in the restaurant business, Morton was a volunteer sheriff's deputy in Los Angeles.
Images online show Harry was recently named Reserve Detective of the Year by the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station.
In a state police said Morton 'dedicates hundreds of hours a year in support of our station's Detective Bureau'.
They said he has been 'responsible for assisting our detectives with countless cases, the recovery of stolen property, searching/reviewing video, reviewing social media, and many other tasks that have resulted in solving crimes'.
Police added: 'He has been a tremendous asset to our station and community.'
The first Pink Taco opened in 1999 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Nevada and was followed by other locations in Arizona and California.
In 2014 profile of his day Morton told The LA Times: 'When you’re at a casino we have you for two to three days, and in a restaurant it’s more like two hours.
'To me it’s not about Michelin stars, it’s about giving people what they want.'
Of being in the restaurant business he said: 'It would have been different if my family owned like Holiday Inns in Cleveland and I probably wouldn’t have gotten as much into it.'
