LONDON — Music producer David Gest and ex-husband of Liza Minnelli died at a hotel in London on Tuesday. He was 62.
Imad Handi, a friend of Gest, confirmed the news in a statement:
“It is with great sadness that I can confirm that David Gest has died today. David was truly larger than life. He was not just a huge talent and a dear friend but a showbiz icon. I know he will be missed by millions of fans around the world, and particularly in Britain, who came to love his charm and blistering one-liners. If I may steal the words of one eminent critic, David was a natural star and a genuine celebrity. I will miss him desperately.”
Police responded to an “unexplained death” at the hotel on Tuesday morning, Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
The cause of death has not been released. An autopsy is pending, police said.
Gest married Minelli in 2002. The couple divorced in 2007.
