Michael Galeota, the child star best known for his work on Disney Channel’s The Jersey, died Sunday in California. The 31-year-old was found in his Glendale residence, E! reported, initially attributing his death to natural causes. (The L.A. County Coroner’s office told the outlet Galeota dealt with “abdominal pain, hypertension, and high cholesterol.”) Further examination is scheduled for later on Tuesday. “[Galeota] was a precious gift — loving, giving, compassionate, joyful and intelligent,” wrote his brother Jimmy, on a GoFundMe page created Monday. “His humble nature hid a great compassionate and loving human being, with a huge heart.” Galeota was a familiar face in movies and TV shows of the ’90s and early 2000s, including The Baby-Sitters Club, Bailey Kipper’s P.O.V., Bushwhacked, Clubhouse Detectives, ER, and, most notably, The Jersey, where he had a starring role that also became his last. At time of publication, Galeota’s GoFundMe page had raised roughly $16,500. The money, according to the campaign, will “provide a burial that is worthy of a giver.”
