BRONX TRAGEDY: Riverdale resident Chris Lighty, who worked with such major hip-hop artists as 50 Cent (inset), shot himself yesterday. (
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Heartbroken from a busted marriage and struggling to pay huge bills, a music manager for such big names as 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and P. Diddy committed suicide at his Bronx home yesterday, law-enforcement sources said.
Troubled hip-hop manager Chris Lighty shot himself in the head as he was preparing to move out of his fabulous West 232nd Street home in Riverdale.
Lighty was in the process of moving his belongings to a U-Haul truck parked outside when he and his estranged wife, Veronica, got into one more huge argument.
“They were arguing about the divorce and it came up that he owed the IRS money,” a law- enforcement source told The Post.
“He went out to the backyard, racked the [9mm] gun . . . then he fired.”
Lighty’s tax bill to Uncle Sam was $5 million, another law-enforcement source said.
City National Bank had recently won a default judgment against Lighty, claiming he bounced checks and ran up overdraft fees totaling $53,584.
The couple’s two children — ages 5 and 17 — had been sent to a nearby park to play just before their parents got into the spat.
Veronica called 911 at 11:33 a.m.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend and business partner Chris Lighty,” 50 Cent said in a statement.
“Chris has been an important part of my business and personal growth for a decade. He was a good friend and adviser who helped me develop as an artist and businessman.
“My prayers are with his family. He will be greatly missed.”
Financial troubles had been dogging the 44-year-old Lighty — born Darrell Steven Lighty — for months.
The producer had recently merged his label, Violator, with a former rival, Primary Wave, forming a new company, Primary Violator.
Music-industry insiders told Page Six that the move was made to pay for his divorce.
The famed producer had been a key figure on the music scene since 1988, when he joined Russell Simmons and now-Warner Music Group chief Lyor Cohen at Rush Management.
“Chris is a beautiful soul, and he will be deeply missed,” Cohen said. “He touched all of our lives.”
Lighty worked with other notable artists including Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Missy Elliott, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep and LL Cool J.
Celebrities went to his home to console his family, including Funkmaster Flex and Busta Rhymes — who swung by in a silver Rolls-Royce.
Additional reporting by Emily Smith and David K. Li