Johnny Lewis' Ex-Girlfriend Katy Perry Saddened by His Death

Katy Perry, who dated Johnny Lewis in 2006, mourns the death of the "Sons of Anarchy" actor. "She had to separate from him . . . to get ahead and focus on her career," a source tells Us Weekly. "He was in trouble then and she couldn't help him. A lot of her songs were partially inspired by him."

"I know 'The One That Got Away' and 'Circle the Drain' are partly about him, as well as Travis [McCoy of Gym Class Heroes]. But she was young and it was a time in her life she cherishes," the source adds. "They had good times. It's really sad. She could never help him and couldn't [let herself] go in that direction."

28-year-old Johnny was found dead in the driveway of a Los Angeles home on Wednesday, September 26. Before his death, he reportedly had an altercation with some neighbors and killed his landlady, an 81-year-old woman named Catherine Davis. Glass was shattered and a dead cat was found inside the house.

Johnny played prospect biker Kip "Half-Sack" Epps on the FX series. He continued to appear on the show until the finale of the second season where he was stabbed to death. Creator Kurt Sutter once said he wrote Johnny off the story due to creative differences. He sent condolence soon after learning about the actor's real-life death.

"Not sure if folks know this yet, but johnny lewis (halfsack) died last night. the sad irony of it happening two days after opie's death is not lost on me," he wrote on his WhoSay page. "It was a tragic end for an extremely talented guy, who unfortunately had lost his way."

"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 day or mourning, but it's also a day of awareness and gratitude. sadly, some of us carry the message by dying."

According to a "Sons of Anarchy" insider, his former co-stars, despite knowing about his troubled past, were all in shock when they heard about his sudden passing. "It wasn't a secret that Johnny had issues he was dealing with. No one could have expected it would end so tragically, though," the source told E! News.

Tia Barr, who played Cara on "SOA", remembered Johnny, "The first scene I ever acted in on the 3rd episode of Season 1 of Sons of Anarchy was with Johnny Lewis. He was such a friendly, handsome young man. So sad to loose (sic) such a great actor at such a young age. RIP Johnny aka Half Sack... You will be missed."

Kristen Renton (Ima) tweeted, "I had known Johnny Lewis for over 10 years...I have no words to describe what I am feeling right now. So tragic and unnecessary." Other supporting/recurring cast like Emilio Rivera (Marcus Alvarez) and LaMonica Garrett (Deputy Sheriff Cane) also posted somber notes in the wake of his death.

His actress friend, Shannon Woodward, wrote, "Johnny, I love you deeply and madly and always. My heart is broken in a million little pieces. I will miss you every day. Johnny Lewis was one of my best friends." She also said, "He was very, very ill. His actions were a despicable result of that. It was not who he was," before adding, "My thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences are with the friends and family of Catherine Davis."

Haylie Duff, who worked with Johnny on "Raise Your Voice", expressed her remorse as well, "So sad to hear the news about Johnny. Such a nice and talented guy. RIP." His former co-star on "The O.C.", Kayla Ewell, additionally posted, "The Johnny Lewis I knew was a charismatic, captivating guy. Let's remember the good times. RIP."

In addition to being unemployed, Johnny sparked concerns over his mental issue and had several trips to jail due to his numerous runs-in with the law including an assault with a deadly weapon and an attempted burglary. He was also dealing with a custody battle of his child.

"He had a child. He was not married to the mother but he talked about his child. I can't remember if it was a son or daughter but he was definitely a dad. The child was a baby at the time we shoot the movie, in 2010," said Monty Fisher, a producer for his movie "186 Days".