Disney star Cameron Boyce, 20, who died in Valley home, had epilepsy, says family; no cause of death from coroner

LOS ANGELES — 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.

“Descendants 3” is scheduled to be released Aug. 2.

Sandler remembered Boyce fondly on Twitter Sunday morning, saying, “Too young. Too sweet. Too funny. Just the nicest, most talented, and most decent kid around. Loved that kid. Cared so much about his family. Cared so much about the world. Thank you, Cameron, for all you to gave us. So much was on the way. All our hearts are broken. Thinking of your amazing family and sending our deepest condolences.”

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.

“From a young age, Cameron Boyce dreamed of sharing his extraordinary artistic talents with the world,” Disney Channel officials said in a statement. “As a young man, he was fueled by a strong desire to make a difference in people’s lives through his humanitarian work. He was an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, cast mates and colleagues. He will be dearly missed.”

On Instagram, where Boyce had more than 8 million followers, “Descendants” director Kenny Ortega remembered the young star.

“Cameron brought love, laughter and compassion with him everyday I was in his presence,” Ortega wrote. “His talent, immeasurable. His kindness and generosity, overflowing. It has been an indescribable honor and pleasure to know and work with him.”

Shocked fans took to social media to post tributes and remembrances in multiple languages.

“‘I’m so saddened by the passing of Cameron Boyce,” a fan named Emma tweeted. “I used to have the biggest crush on him growing up and to hear this is unbelievable. Thank you for making my childhood special Cameron.”

He is survived by his parents, Libby and Victor, and his younger sister, Maya.