Steve Bing, the former boyfriend of actress Liz Hurley, has sadly died at the age of 55.
The film producer, who was best known for working on the movies Kangaroo Jack and The Polar Express, was found dead at around 1pm in Santa Monica, Los Angeles on Monday (22 June).
An LAPD spokesperson has said they are investigating a death but did not confirm the person’s identity.
Bing’s publicist, Michelle Bega, told Sky News that she was ‘overwhelmed trying to process this unbelievable and sad event’.
He is survived by two children – Damien Hurley from his former relationship with Liz, and Kira, who he shared with professional tennis player Lisa Bonder.
Tributes have poured in for Bing, with former US President Bill Clinton tweeting: ‘I loved Steve Bing very much. He had a big heart, and he was willing to do anything he could for the people and causes he believed in. I will miss him and his enthusiasm more than I can say, and I hope he’s finally found peace.’
Bing is said to have inherited a $600 million (£481 million) fortune from his grandfather, a real estate developer, when he was 18, prompting him to drop out of Stanford University.
The producer went on to found Shangri-La Entertainment before working on his first big-budget hit, 2000’s Get Carter, starring Sylvester Stallone. He also invested an estimated $80 million (£64 million) into Tom Hanks’ animated movie Polar Express in 2004.
In 2008, he produced Martin Scorsese’s documentary Shine A Light about legendary rock band The Rolling Stones.
In addition to his Hollywood career, Bing donated money to the US Democratic Party.
His name is listed on the Giving Pledge website, a project launched in 2010 by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, which asks the mega-rich to give away the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.
Bing and Austin Powers actress Liz had a brief relationship in 2001. They welcomed their son Damien, now 18, in 2002 but Bing is reported to have initially denied he was the father until a DNA test determined the paternity.
Liz, 55, is quoted as saying at the time: ‘I loved Stephen enormously during the 18 months we were together. Contrary to erroneous reports, we were still very much happy together when I discovered I was pregnant.
‘I was completely loyal and faithful to Stephen throughout this time as, indeed, he assured me he was to me.’
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