Roy Horn, Siegfried and Roy Magician, Dead at 75 Due to Coronavirus

Roy Horn, one half of the beloved Siegfried and Roy Las Vegas act, has died after contracting the coronavirus. Siegfried Fischbacher confirmed the sad news himself, sharing a statement with TMZ late Friday night. Roy died a little more than a week after he first tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. He was 75.

“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend. From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world. There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried,” Fischbacher told TMZ. “Roy was a fighter his whole life, including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy’s life.”

Just last week, Horn’s publicist confirmed he was diagnosed with the coronavirus and was “responding well to treatment.” “Most importantly, Siegfried & Roy send positive wishes to everyone impacted by the pandemic. We will have no further comment on Roy’s recovery at this time and ask everyone to respect his right to privacy,” the representative continued.

Horn and Fischbacher, 80, were both born in Germany. Horn was born Uwe Ludwig Horn in Nordenham. He met Fischaber in Bremen, where they began performing as a duo before emigrating to the U.S. In 1990, they launched the famous Siegfried & Roy at the Mirage Resort and Casino show, which involved magic acts with appearances from white lions and white tigers.

The duo was forced to retire the act in 2003 when Roy was attacked by a 7-year-old white tiger. They launched a short-lived television series, Father of the Pride, the following year. They continued performing until they announced they were retiring from the business for good in April 2010. In 2016, director Philipp Stolzl was hired to direct a biopic about Siegfried & Roy, although it has not come to fruition yet.

“I really don’t miss it,” Fischbacher told ABC News in 2019. “We have been on stage in Vegas just by themselves for 40 years on stage, you know? And we had the most successful show in the history of Las Vegas anyway.”