A post-mortem examination on the body of pop icon George Michael, who died on Christmas Day after a chart-topping career and years of drug-taking, has proved &quot;inconclusive&quot;, police said on Friday.

&quot;The cause of death is inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out. The results of these tests are unlikely to be known for several weeks,&quot; a police statement said.

Police said earlier they were treating his death as &quot;unexplained but not suspicious&quot;. The post-mortem was carried out on Thursday.

Michael&#39;s partner Fadi Fawaz said he had found the star &quot;lying peacefully&quot; in bed at his home in the village of Goring on the River Thames west of London.

His manager Michael Lippman told Billboard magazine that the cause of death appeared to be heart failure.

Tributes have poured in all week from heartbroken fans leaving flowers, candles and emotional messages outside his homes in Goring and London.

Michael&#39;s family said Tuesday they were &quot;touched&quot; by the long line of tributes, including ones from Madonna and Elton John.

&quot;The family and close friends of George have been touched beyond words by the incredible outpouring of love for him in the hours and days since his death,&quot; the singer&#39;s publicist said in a statement.

&quot;Contrary to some reports, there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and from the bottom of our hearts we thank those who, rightly, have chosen to celebrate his life and legacy&quot;.

Quiet philanthropist

&quot;Last Christmas&quot;, one of Michael&#39;s best-selling singles from his time in the pop duo Wham!, returned to the British charts, the Official Charts Company said on Friday.

The festive hit climbed to number seven in the charts -- its first time in the top 10 sales since it was released 31 years ago.

The song has also become the second most streamed track of the week, with 3.6 million streams.

Michael notched up police cautions for cannabis and crack cocaine possession in his final years and in 2010 was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after crashing his 4x4 into a London shop while under the influence of cannabis and prescription medication.

In 2011, he spent several weeks in hospital in Vienna after contracting pneumonia while on tour, later saying he had come close to death.

Stories about Michael&#39;s quiet philanthropy for children and HIV charities have been shared widely since his death, as well as a report of his anonymous &pound;15,000 (17,600 euro, $18,400) donation to a woman who could not conceive to get IVF treatment.

Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou to a Greek Cypriot father and English mother in north London in 1963, Michael shot to fame with the band Wham! and sold more than 100 million records in his career.

He met Andrew Ridgeley at high school and the pair went on to form Wham! in 1981.&nbsp;

With their good looks, perma-tans, highlighted hair and hedonistic image, the duo captured the go-getting spirit of the age and fast became one of Britain&#39;s biggest pop acts with a string of hits including &quot;Last Christmas&quot; and &quot;Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go&quot;.

Michael only revealed in public that he was gay in 1998 after being arrested by police in Los Angeles. He went on to become a major campaigner and donor for gay rights and HIV charities.

The star later said he had not wanted to come out while his mother was still alive because she would be concerned he had contracted HIV.

(AFP)

Police said earlier they were treating his death as 'unexplained but not suspicious'

A post-mortem examination on the body of pop icon George Michael, who died on Christmas Day after a chart-topping career and years of drug-taking, has proved "inconclusive", police said on Friday. "The cause of death is inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out. The results of these tests are unlikely to be known for several weeks," a police statement said. Police said earlier they were treating his death as "unexplained but not suspicious". The post-mortem was carried out on Thursday. Michael's partner Fadi Fawaz said he had found the star "lying peacefully" in bed at his home in the village of Goring on the River Thames west of London. His manager Michael Lippman told Billboard magazine that the cause of death appeared to be heart failure. Tributes have poured in all week from heartbroken fans leaving flowers, candles and emotional messages outside his homes in Goring and London. Michael's family said Tuesday they were "touched" by the long line of tributes, including ones from Madonna and Elton John. "The family and close friends of George have been touched beyond words by the incredible outpouring of love for him in the hours and days since his death," the singer's publicist said in a statement. "Contrary to some reports, there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and from the bottom of our hearts we thank those who, rightly, have chosen to celebrate his life and legacy". Quiet philanthropist "Last Christmas", one of Michael's best-selling singles from his time in the pop duo Wham!, returned to the British charts, the Official Charts Company said on Friday. The festive hit climbed to number seven in the charts -- its first time in the top 10 sales since it was released 31 years ago. The song has also become the second most streamed track of the week, with 3.6 million streams. Michael notched up police cautions for cannabis and crack cocaine possession in his final years and in 2010 was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after crashing his 4x4 into a London shop while under the influence of cannabis and prescription medication. In 2011, he spent several weeks in hospital in Vienna after contracting pneumonia while on tour, later saying he had come close to death. Stories about Michael's quiet philanthropy for children and HIV charities have been shared widely since his death, as well as a report of his anonymous £15,000 (17,600 euro, $18,400) donation to a woman who could not conceive to get IVF treatment. Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou to a Greek Cypriot father and English mother in north London in 1963, Michael shot to fame with the band Wham! and sold more than 100 million records in his career. He met Andrew Ridgeley at high school and the pair went on to form Wham! in 1981. With their good looks, perma-tans, highlighted hair and hedonistic image, the duo captured the go-getting spirit of the age and fast became one of Britain's biggest pop acts with a string of hits including "Last Christmas" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go". Michael only revealed in public that he was gay in 1998 after being arrested by police in Los Angeles. He went on to become a major campaigner and donor for gay rights and HIV charities. The star later said he had not wanted to come out while his mother was still alive because she would be concerned he had contracted HIV. (AFP)

Post-mortem on George Michael 'inconclusive'

Pop superstar George Michael concealed his homosexuality, as well as the trauma of his boyfriend&#39;s death, for years but later became a gay rights advocate and key supporter of HIV campaigns.

Michael, who died Sunday at 53, only came out as gay in 1998 -- nearly two decades into his career -- after being caught by police in a &quot;lewd act&quot; in a public bathroom in a park in Los Angeles.

His sexuality was by then an open secret in show business but Michael said he did not go public so as not to worry his mother because of fears about the AIDS virus in the gay community at the time.

&quot;Understand how much I love my family and that AIDS was a predominant feature of being gay in the 1980s and early 1990s as far as any parent was concerned,&quot; he told BBC Radio in an interview in 2007.

&quot;My mother was still alive and every single day would have been a nightmare for her thinking what I might have been subjected to,&quot; explained Michael.

Initially confused about his sexuality, Michael said he realised he was gay by the end of the 1980s.

&#39;Fearful period to be gay&#39;

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said that concern for his mother may not have been the only reason Michael chose not to come out.

&quot;Back then, the red tops were vicious to gay public figures,&quot; he said, referring to popular tabloid papers like the News of the World and The Sun.

&quot;They were vilified and smeared. Being gay was portrayed as a scandal and shame.&quot;&nbsp;

Tatchell said the explosion of AIDS led to a sharp rise in homophobic public attitudes.

&quot;Gay-bashings and murders rocketed. It was a fearful period to be gay, let alone a gay public figure.

&quot;I wish George had come out then. He could have helped counter that tide of prejudice. But I understand why he didn&#39;t,&quot; he said.

First love

At a concert in Rio de Janeiro in 1991, Michael met Anselmo Feleppa, a Brazilian dress designer who became his first love.

&quot;It&#39;s very hard to be proud of your sexuality when it hasn&#39;t given you any joy, but once you have found somebody you really love it&#39;s not so tough,&quot; Michael told the Huffington Post in an interview.

Six months into the relationship, they discovered Feleppa was HIV-positive -- a devastating blow for Michael.

&quot;I couldn&#39;t go through it with my family because I didn&#39;t know how to share it with them &ndash;- they didn&#39;t even know I was gay,&quot; he said.

Feleppa died of an AIDS-related brain haemorrhage in 1993.

Whenever performing the single &quot;Jesus To A Child&quot; from the album &quot;Older&quot; (1996), Michael dedicated it to Feleppa and the singer later said the entire album was a tribute to his late partner.

&quot;Heaven sent/ And Heaven stole/ You smiled at me/ Like Jesus to a child,&quot; Michael sings.&nbsp;

&#39;Live on in the hearts&#39;

Michael later told the BBC his arrest in 1998 may have been &quot;a subconsciously deliberate act&quot; to out himself and said he wished he had gone public sooner.

&quot;I don&#39;t think I would have had the same career &ndash;- my ego might not have been satisfied in some areas &ndash;- but I think I would have been a happier man,&quot; he said.

The same year that he came out as gay, Michael began his public activism by helping with a documentary about six young people affected by the HIV virus to coincide with World Aids Day.

As part of his philanthropy -- much of it under the radar -- he was also a major supporter of the Terrence Higgins Trust, a British HIV charity.

&quot;His donations contributed to a vision of a world where people living with HIV live healthy lives free from prejudice and discrimination,&quot; the charity said in a Facebook post on Monday.

The gay rights group Stonewall said on Twitter: &quot;You inspired many and your music will live on in the hearts of the community. You will be sorely missed&quot;.

(AFP)

Michael, who died Sunday at 53, only came out as gay in 1998, nearly two decades into his career

Pop superstar George Michael concealed his homosexuality, as well as the trauma of his boyfriend's death, for years but later became a gay rights advocate and key supporter of HIV campaigns. Michael, who died Sunday at 53, only came out as gay in 1998 -- nearly two decades into his career -- after being caught by police in a "lewd act" in a public bathroom in a park in Los Angeles. His sexuality was by then an open secret in show business but Michael said he did not go public so as not to worry his mother because of fears about the AIDS virus in the gay community at the time. "Understand how much I love my family and that AIDS was a predominant feature of being gay in the 1980s and early 1990s as far as any parent was concerned," he told BBC Radio in an interview in 2007. "My mother was still alive and every single day would have been a nightmare for her thinking what I might have been subjected to," explained Michael. Initially confused about his sexuality, Michael said he realised he was gay by the end of the 1980s. 'Fearful period to be gay' Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said that concern for his mother may not have been the only reason Michael chose not to come out. "Back then, the red tops were vicious to gay public figures," he said, referring to popular tabloid papers like the News of the World and The Sun. "They were vilified and smeared. Being gay was portrayed as a scandal and shame." Tatchell said the explosion of AIDS led to a sharp rise in homophobic public attitudes. "Gay-bashings and murders rocketed. It was a fearful period to be gay, let alone a gay public figure. "I wish George had come out then. He could have helped counter that tide of prejudice. But I understand why he didn't," he said. First love At a concert in Rio de Janeiro in 1991, Michael met Anselmo Feleppa, a Brazilian dress designer who became his first love. "It's very hard to be proud of your sexuality when it hasn't given you any joy, but once you have found somebody you really love it's not so tough," Michael told the Huffington Post in an interview. Six months into the relationship, they discovered Feleppa was HIV-positive -- a devastating blow for Michael. "I couldn't go through it with my family because I didn't know how to share it with them –- they didn't even know I was gay," he said. Feleppa died of an AIDS-related brain haemorrhage in 1993. Whenever performing the single "Jesus To A Child" from the album "Older" (1996), Michael dedicated it to Feleppa and the singer later said the entire album was a tribute to his late partner. "Heaven sent/ And Heaven stole/ You smiled at me/ Like Jesus to a child," Michael sings. 'Live on in the hearts' Michael later told the BBC his arrest in 1998 may have been "a subconsciously deliberate act" to out himself and said he wished he had gone public sooner. "I don't think I would have had the same career –- my ego might not have been satisfied in some areas –- but I think I would have been a happier man," he said. The same year that he came out as gay, Michael began his public activism by helping with a documentary about six young people affected by the HIV virus to coincide with World Aids Day. As part of his philanthropy -- much of it under the radar -- he was also a major supporter of the Terrence Higgins Trust, a British HIV charity. "His donations contributed to a vision of a world where people living with HIV live healthy lives free from prejudice and discrimination," the charity said in a Facebook post on Monday. The gay rights group Stonewall said on Twitter: "You inspired many and your music will live on in the hearts of the community. You will be sorely missed". (AFP)

George Michael: From closeted life to gay rights advocate

American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga disclosed on Monday that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she was raped as a teenager.

The pop icon admitted to battling with the mental illness in an interview at a New York homeless shelter for gay and lesbian (LGBT) youth.

&quot;I told the kids today that I suffer from a mental illness -- I suffer from PTSD,&quot; said Gaga, speaking to NBC television&#39;s &quot;Today Show&quot; program, news agency AFP reported.

Gaga had revealed two years ago that she was raped at age 19 that had left her emotionally weak.

Gaga, now 30, urged the youths at the Ali Forney Center shelter to find the courage to face their problems.

&quot;I don&#39;t have the same kind&nbsp;of issues that you have, but I have a mental illness, and I struggle with that mental illness every day,&quot; she said.

&quot;I need my mantra to help keep me relaxed. You are brave. You are courageous.&quot;

Gaga has long championed the right of sexual minorities. She thanked the shelter residents on Twitter for &nbsp;&quot;sharing your stories, trauma &amp; pain&quot;.

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
To the LGBTQ&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/AliForneyCenter">@AliForneyCenter</a> thank you for sharing your stories, trauma &amp; pain with me &amp; the world today. Your kindness is contagious. ??
&mdash; xoxo, Joanne (@ladygaga) <a href="https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/805773463466057728">December 5, 2016</a></blockquote>

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Today I shared one my deepest secrets w/ the world. Secrets keep you sick w/ shame ??Watch this video <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShareKindness?src=hash">#ShareKindness</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rynfxekz3Z">https://t.co/Rynfxekz3Z</a>
&mdash; xoxo, Joanne (@ladygaga) <a href="https://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/805785828697874432">December 5, 2016</a></blockquote>

(WION with inputs from AFP)

'I don't have the same kind of issues that you have, but I have a mental illness, and I struggle with that mental illness every day'

American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga disclosed on Monday that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after she was raped as a teenager. The pop icon admitted to battling with the mental illness in an interview at a New York homeless shelter for gay and lesbian (LGBT) youth. "I told the kids today that I suffer from a mental illness -- I suffer from PTSD," said Gaga, speaking to NBC television's "Today Show" program, news agency AFP reported. Gaga had revealed two years ago that she was raped at age 19 that had left her emotionally weak. Gaga, now 30, urged the youths at the Ali Forney Center shelter to find the courage to face their problems. "I don't have the same kind of issues that you have, but I have a mental illness, and I struggle with that mental illness every day," she said. "I need my mantra to help keep me relaxed. You are brave. You are courageous." Gaga has long championed the right of sexual minorities. She thanked the shelter residents on Twitter for "sharing your stories, trauma & pain". To the LGBTQ's @AliForneyCenter thank you for sharing your stories, trauma & pain with me & the world today. Your kindness is contagious. ?? — xoxo, Joanne (@ladygaga) December 5, 2016 Today I shared one my deepest secrets w/ the world. Secrets keep you sick w/ shame ??Watch this video #ShareKindness https://t.co/Rynfxekz3Z — xoxo, Joanne (@ladygaga) December 5, 2016 (WION with inputs from AFP)

Lady Gaga reveals battle with PTSD after rape

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Post-mortem on George Michael 'inconclusive'

George Michael: From closeted life to gay rights advocate

Lady Gaga reveals battle with PTSD after rape