Chuy Bravo, the Mexican-American entertainer and actor who’s perhaps best known for being Chelsea Handler’s good-natured sidekick on Chelsea Lately, has died at the age of 63. TMZ reports that Bravo, born Jesús Melgoza, suffered severe stomach pains while visiting his family in Mexico City, which prompted a hospitalization on Saturday afternoon. His cause of death is still unknown. Bravo appeared on over 1,000 episodes of Chelsea Lately during the talk show’s reign on E!, where he served as Handler’s sidekick, hypeman, and general companion for mischief and fun. The duo were good pals outside of the show. Bravo also occasionally dabbled in small film roles, such as 2005’s The Honeymooners and 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
“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,” Handler wrote on her social media pages. “Chuy 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. I’ll never forget him coming to Christmas with my family one year in the Florida keys, and when my niece who was 5 or 6 at the time saw him, she ran in the other direction saying she was scared. My sister and I were mortified and were apologizing to Chuy, who told us, ‘it’s okay, lots of little kids get scared when they see big kids coming their way.’ I love you, Chuy!”
