The Johnny Lewis Nikki Reed knew wasn't a bad guy.
On September 27, Lewis' dead body was found in a driveway after he fell or jumped from a rooftop following a fight with his landlord, Catherine Davis. (Police officers believe Lewis, 38, may have beaten Davis, 81, to death.)
Reed — who, like Lewis, appeared in the third season of The O.C. in in 2006 — opened up about her late pal's passing during an interview with E! News. "It's horrible and shocking news," Reed, 24, said. "He was the nicest guy."
The actress, married to singer-songwriter Paul McDonald, 28, explained that Lewis was always a pleasure to be around on set. "I never thought anything but great things about him," she said. "I have nothing to say except that he was a really nice guy. It's just crazy."
Lewis also appeared in the FX series Sons of Anarchy from 2008 to 2009. Unlike Reed, the show's creator, Kurt Sutter, 46, wasn't at all surprised to learn of Lewis' passing. "It was a tragic end for an extremely talented guy, who unfortunately had lost his way," Sutter wrote on his WhoSay page. "I wish I could say that I was shocked by the events last night, but I was not. I am deeply sorry that an innocent life had to be thrown into his destructive path. Yes, it's a day of mourning, but it's also a day of awareness and gratitude. Sadly, some of us carry the message by dying."
The deceased actor also dated Katy Perry, 27, from 2005 to 2006 — just before she hit it big with her debut single, "I Kissed a Girl."
A source close to the pop star told Us Weekly she was "devastated" to hear about the actor's tragic death. "She had to separate from him . . . to get ahead and focus on her career," the source explained of Perry's relationship with Lewis. "He was in trouble then and she couldn't help him.
