(JTA) — David Gest, a Jewish reality television star in Britain and the ex-husband of actress Liza Minnelli, was found dead in a five-star London hotel.
Police and paramedics were called to the luxury Four Seasons Hotel early on Tuesday to find the 62-year-old Gest’s body, The Sun, a British tabloid, reported.
Gest, a former contestant on Britain’s “Celebrity Big Brother,” married Minnelli in 2002 but they separated after a year. The couple officially divorced in 2007.
A Los Angeles native who became a music producer, Gest had been due to tour the United Kingdom in a musical show called “David Gest Is Not Dead, But Alive with Soul” starting in York on July 1. He also was known for being a close friend of the late pop superstar Michael Jackson.
According to The Sun, his company, David Gest Limited, accumulated a $500,000 debt after he became addicted to gambling in his final months.
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