STOCKHOLM, Dec 17 — A former manager of Swedish superstar DJ Avicii said yesterday that he had initiated legal proceedings to correct the “public record” regarding his alleged influence on the late artist’s suicide.

In an Instagram post, Arash “Ash” Pournouri said he had taken legal action in Sweden “solely to set the factual record straight”.

Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv reported that the lawsuits targeted several companies connected to Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, and were now controlled by Bergling’s family.

Avicii, who collaborated with stars like Madonna and Coldplay, was among the first DJs to break into the mainstream with his hit songs Wake Me Up and Levels.

He was found dead on April 20, 2018, in Muscat, the capital of Oman, where he had been on holiday with friends.

In an open letter published several days after his death, his family said he “wanted peace” and “could not go on any longer”.

Avicii had made no secret of his health problems, including pancreatitis, triggered in part by excessive drinking linked to his party lifestyle.

His death opened a debate around the toll that touring and fame can take on artists’ mental health.

Pournouri claims that a 2017 documentary and two books wrongly portrayed him as one of those responsible for Bergling’s declining mental health by pushing the artist to continue touring.

The two parted ways in late 2016.

“I was blamed and judged in public for things I didn’t do,” Pournouri said in the post.

Pournouri stressed that the lawsuit was not filed for financial gain, and that any damages awarded would be put towards “charitable causes”.

“This is about the record, not profit,” he said. — AFP