Chuy Bravo: ‘Chelsea Lately’ Sidekick Was Hospitalized for Stomach Issue Day Before Death

Chuy Bravo, Chelsea Handler‘s sidekick on Chelsea Lately, was hospitalized for a stomach issue the day before his death, his family said. The actor, who starred in The Honeymooners with Cedric the Entertainer and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, died on Sunday. He was 63 years old.

Bravo’s family said the actor, born Jesus Melgoza, was visiting his family in Mexico City when he came down with a “terrible stomach ache” and was hospitalized Saturday. He spent the night at the hospital, and doctors told his family Sunday morning he died. His cause of death is unknown, TMZ reports.

Bravo served as Handler’s sidekick on Chelsea Lately for seven years. The late night talk show aired on E! Network from 2007 to 2014.

Just last week, Handler wished Bravo a happy birthday on Instagram. After hearing about the post, Bravo admitted he had not seen Handler since Chelsea Lately ended.

“She is very busy,” Bravo told Radar Online on Dec. 11. “We have both been busy trying to do our thing that we haven’t seen each other since. But we text, we call each other. She called me last week actually before my birthday.”

Bravo later called Handler “my dearest” and would “definitely accept a job if she offered it to me.”

“When the show ended, we already knew what was going to happen by then,” Bravo continued. “But it’s okay. Of course I was sad, because the whole crew, we are like a family.”

Last summer, Radar Online reported that Bravo was running into financial issues and filed for bankruptcy because he had “zero” income. However, he told the outlet last week he was doing much better. “I can’t complain,” he said at the time.

In a 2012 interview with Latina, Bravo said Handler taught him to “work really hard, not have an ego, and give back to your community.”

“She has also taught me to be humble,” he said at the time. “When I first started on her show, I drove a used and beat up car. Once she saw me in the parking lot driving that thing she said, ‘Oh no Chuy. You can’t be driving around in this.’ She took me to the dealer and bought me a new car. She didn’t have to do that and it inspired me to also give back.”

Bravo’s final Instagram post was published on Nov. 13, and showed the actor with a restaurant owner. The post has since become a place for fans to leave their condolences.

“Oh my gosh!” one fan wrote. “I was just looking at his Instagram last week. Such a wonderful spirit. RIP [Bravo].”

“So so sorry,” another wrote. “He will be missed.”

After Chelsea Lately ended, Bravo appeared in the movies The Sex Trip (2016) and Buscando Nirvana (2017).

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