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Distraught friends and family of the dashing young Hollywood scion found dead in his Chelsea apartment Sunday with a plastic bag over his head are hotly disputing claims that he intentionally killed himself.
“It was not suicide,” insisted Jake Dingler, the best friend of tragic jetsetter Andrew Embiricos, grandson of 1940s screen siren Rita Hayworth.
“He was in a great place. We were planning a trip to Amsterdam next weekend for his birthday,” Dingler told The Post. “He had everything going for him.”
Dingler declined to elaborate on how his friend might have died.
Meanwhile, Embiricos’ mom, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, yesterday issued a statement calling the death of her only child “accidental” and “a terrible tragedy.”
Cops have tentatively ruled Embiricos’ death a suicide. An autopsy was inconclusive and toxicology tests are still pending
Embiricos, 25, was discovered lying face-up in his bed at his West 17th Street apartment at around 8:30 p.m. Sunday by another pal, Aaron Edwards, who grew concerned after his gregarious, handsome friend missed weekend plans.
Dingler said that he spent “all of Friday evening” with Embiricos, and had planned to have Sunday brunch with him and Aga Khan.
Embiricos never showed up.
Fewer than 48 hours before, Embiricos seemed upbeat as he posted on his Facebook page about his upcoming birthday trip.
“1 week until Amsterdam, 3 weeks until London, 3 and a half weeks until Manchester. God I love December,” he wrote just after noon on Friday.
Embiricos later exchanged a few lighthearted messages about the trip with friends.
An avid international traveler — and Delta Airlines fan — Embiricos also was online at Flyertalk.com, a frequent-flyer forum where he was famous for his witty and insightful commentary.
He made an innocuous post about Delta’s new 737-300ER Friday afternoon, and last logged on to the site at 2:40 Saturday morning.
Later that morning, Dingler posted on Embiricos’ Facebook wall, asking, “Hi!!!! Still on for brunch???” There was no response. By Sunday evening, friends were clearly worried.
“Andrew. Call your mom very concerned,” read one Facebook post.
“Where are you/what did you do to your phone!” asked another.
Embiricos reportedly has battled drug addiction and HIV, and did a stint several years ago as an amateur porn star.
“My son Andrew was an extraordinary young man, loved and admired by all who knew him,” said Aga Khan, who is divorced from his shipping tycoon dad, Basil Embiricos.
His accidental death is a terrible tragedy.”