The cause of death of popular Disney star Cameron Boyce has been listed preliminarily as having “occurred under natural circumstances,” but the final cause will be determined at a later date, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office reported Thursday.
Known for his roles on the TV series “Jessie” and the “Descendants” film franchise, Boyce, 20, was found unresponsive Saturday afternoon at his home in the 5100 block of Cartwright Avenue in North Hollywood. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:35 p.m., according to the coroner’s office.
An autopsy was performed on Monday, and the “cause and manner of death were deferred pending additional testing,” the coroner’s office said.
“Preliminary information suggests the death occurred under natural circumstances,” the coroner’s office said in a statement Thursday morning. “The final cause and manner of death will be determined at a later date.”
Earlier this week, Boyce’s family had released a statement saying that the young man’s “tragic passing was due to a seizure as a result of an ongoing medical condition, and that condition was epilepsy.”
“We are still trying to navigate our way through this extremely heart-wrenching time, and continue to ask for privacy so that the family and all who knew and loved him can grieve his loss and make arrangements for his funeral — which in and of itself, is agonizing,” the family statement said.
Boyce’s father, Victor, took to Twitter on Sunday to thank fans for their well-wishes.
“I’m overwhelmed with the love and support our family has received,” he wrote. “It really does help to ease the pain of this nightmare I can’t wake up from. I can’t thank you guys enough.”
Boyce, a Los Angeles native, began his career at age 9 with a role in the horror film “Mirrors,” which starred Kiefer Sutherland. His more than 30 credits also included roles in the film “Grown Ups 2” with Adam Sandler, guest appearances several other Disney shows and pilot for the upcoming HBO series “Mrs. Fletcher” with Kathryn Hahn. But he is perhaps best known for “Jessie,” which aired on the Disney Channel from 2011 to 2015 and in which he played one of four adopted children for whom the title character served as nanny. He also appeared in the “Descendants” movies about the offspring of such classic Disney villains as Cruella De Vil and Maleficent the Evil Queen.
He was also known for his charity work and was honored with the Pioneering Spirit Award in 2018 for his work with the Thirst Project, a nonprofit for which he raised $30,000 to build wells for clean drinking water in Swaziland. In March, he introduced former Vice President Joe Biden during his Biden Courage Awards in New York City.
“Descendants 3” is scheduled to be released Aug. 2. The Disney Channel announced Thursday it was canceling the scheduled July 22 red-carpet premiere of the film, “and instead, the Walt Disney Company will make a donation to the Thirst Project, a philanthropic organization to which Cameron was deeply committed.”
He is survived by his parents, Libby and Victor, and his younger sister, Maya.