Gerard Butler is devastated after the sudden passing of his 'dear friend' Darius Danesh Campbell.
Darius' family released a statement on August 16, to share the heartbreaking news that the Colourblind singer was found dead aged 41 in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota. Before his death, Darius was seen enjoying a dog walk in Malibu with his long-time pal and fellow Scots actor.
Paying tribute to his friend on social media, the 52-year-old actor shared a snap of the pair smiling with the caption: "I am devastated by the sudden passing of my dear friend Darius, a true brother in arms. My thoughts and love go to his wonderful mum and dad Avril and Booth and his two brilliant brothers Aria and Cyrus.
"To those lucky enough to have met Darius for more than a few minutes, they were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely containable zest for life. He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice, and a genuinely warm embrace that few could resist-nor would they want to!!! He was an incredible talent, a singer whose voice touched your soul and an actor with great presence.
"But, most importantly, he had the heart of a lion. It was bigger and brighter than the sun and an energy so contagious he could light up a room in seconds. Our boy Darius was always constant and unwavering in his passion for life," Butler continued.
"But a bigger constant was his dream to inspire others to better themselves. He talked the talk but boy, did he walk the walk. He had such purity of thought, a deep wisdom and constant gratitude for people, for life, a compassion towards all.
"His hilarious self-deprecating sense of humour (he was funny as shit) allowed him to stay humble - something he valued deeply. Darius' undying commitment to being of service to individuals- his family, his friends (none more so than me) and to the world at large made him the perfect friend.
"He led by example but he was also a teacher, as he pushed those he loved to be the best possible versions of themselves. The universe unfolds in ways we may not agree with or even understand. Somewhere in there I believe there is, or will be, some meaning in why he left us so early. If it was nothing more than teaching us to live with that open heart, putting others first and never taking ourselves too seriously as we learn to traverse this wonky world we live in then, that might be enough.
"But something tells me there will be way more waves created by our boy Darius further down the line. My heart aches heavily. But going forward, I will beat my drum louder and celebrate life and its every beautiful moment because my brother showed me that was a pretty awesome way to go about it."
Darius, whose profile catapulted when he made his first bid for fame on ITV show Popstars in 2001, has been remembered by his fans across the world. He made a name for himself on the first series of Pop Idol, which was won by Will Young, and after coming third on the show, he turned down Simon Cowell's offer of a record deal and signed with music titan Steve Lillywhite.
Local police confirmed there were "no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances", with the cause of his death unknown at this stage, the family added. The family are currently awaiting a toxicology report to identify the cause of death, which may take up to eight weeks.
It has also been reported that when checking into the apartment in Rochester Minnesota, Darius used Gerard's partner's name Morgan Brown as a guise, according to Mail Online. Using false names is common for celebrities to not attract unwanted attention, with Darius appearing to use Morgan's name to conceal his identity when booking.
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