CHELSEA Handler’s TV sidekick Chuy Bravo died after a mystery stomach ache which sparked a dash to the ER, it has been reported.
Chuy, 63, was hospitalised on Saturday in Mexico City and kept overnight after gastric pains, his family told TMZ.
His relatives, who he had been staying with for the past month, said he passed away on Sunday although his exact cause of death is unclear.
The diminutive star, who moved from Mexico to the US aged 15, was the beloved sidekick to Chelsea Handler on her E! talk show from 2007 until 2014.
Chelsea wrote a loving tribute to Chuy – who she hadn’t seen since moving to Netflix five years ago.
On social media, she wrote: “I loved this nugget in a big way, and I took great pleasure in how many people loved him as much as I did and do.
“@chuybravo gave us so much laughter and I’ll never forget the sound of his laughter coming from his office into mine.
“Or his ‘business calls’ with his ‘business manager,’ or his shoe rack with all his children-sized shoes.”
Chuy was born Jesús Melgoza in Tangancícuaro, Michoacán in Mexico – and lived in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles at the time of his death.
In a heartbreaking final interview before his death, Chuy thanked Chelsea for her recent birthday wishes.
He told Radar Online: “I have been out of town in Mexico. Wow. Thank her very much. She loves me.”
But he tragically revealed that he and Chelsea had not seen each other since their show ended five years ago.
He said: “We have both been busy trying to do our thing that we haven’t seen each other since.
“But we text, we call each other. She called me last week actually before my birthday.”
He added: “I love her. She is my dearest.
“I would definitely accept a job if she offered it to me.”
Chuy was forced to file for bankruptcy last year, with his case closing in October.
The actor – who had roles in The Honeymooners and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – overcame prostate cancer in 2012.
