Donny Davis, Who Performed With Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Reportedly Dead at 43
Donny Davis, a longtime Las Vegas impersonator who performed with Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears, died on Tuesday. He was 43. Davis also performed with Chelsea Handler, appearing on several episodes of Chelsea Lately, and had a small role in the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson movie Pain & Gain.
Davis was found dead in his Las Vegas hotel room bed, sources close to the situation told TMZ. A cause of death has not been determined, pending an autopsy. Davis had been at a nearby casino in the hours before his death, sources told TMZ.
"Donny broke barriers in the little people community and was an inspiration to his peers," Jeff Beacher told TMZ Wednesday. "He will be missed terribly but his legacy and the impact he had on those who loved him will live on forever." Davis was a frequent performer at Beacher's Madhouse in Los Angeles for over two decades.
Davis was well-known in the Hollywood community. He often appeared on Chelsea Lately to fill in for Handler's usual sidekick, the late Chuy Bravo. In 2013, Davis joined Spears' Las Vegas residency. "Thank you [Spears] for the opportunity to work with you for the last four years. Your an inspiration and a role model and it's been amazing having you as my boss and my friend," Davis wrote in a 2017 Instagram post, alongside a picture with the singer.
His last Instagram post has become a venue for fans to share their condolences. "RIP! Thank you for everything when I lived in Vegas," one fan wrote. "RIP... such a vibrant funny loving person. I will miss you very much!" another commented. "You were a real one [Davis]. I'm going to miss your silly antics and huge heart," another wrote.
Davis also performed with Mariah Carey, Seth McFarlane, Miley Cyrus, Joe Jonas, Kelly Osbourne, and Hayden Panettiere. His Instagram page is covered with photos of him posing with Hollywood stars. His show at Beacher's Madhouse was famous for attracting celebrities and was so successful that Beacher let Davis produce the show himself. Stars like Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham, Charlize Theron, and many others would hire Davis for private events.
Aside from his appearances on Chelsea Lately, Davis starred in two films. He played a motel security guard in Pain & Gain in 2013. In 2017, he had a role in Tommy Chong's comedy It's Gawd!.