Dave Hollis, author and former distribution executive for Disney, has died at the age of 47.
A family representative said Daviddied Saturday nightat his home outside Austin, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. An exact cause of death has not been revealed.
Dave was recentlyhospitalized with heart issues,THRandVarietyreported.
“We are devastated,” Dave’s ex-wifeRachel Hollissaid in astatementon social media. “I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them.”
She added, “Please wrap the kids up in prayers as we try to navigate through the unthinkable.”
An autopsy will be performed, but the final results are not expected for some time, Hays County Justice of the Peace Andrew Cable tells PEOPLE.
Dave worked for Disney from 2011 to 2018, per the reports. He led theatrical distribution during his time with the company, and helped launch film franchises such asFrozen,Black Panther, theAvengersseries, and more.
Dave Hollis.Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
Dave and Rachel were married for 16 years before theyannounced their splitin June 2020. The couple had four children together: sons Jackson, Sawyer and Ford, and daughter Noah.
“We started out asbest friends 18 years agoand the truth is, that core friendship and the parts of us that work so well, have become a band-aid for the parts of us that don’t,” Rachel said in her Instagram post announcing the divorce.
Dave Hollis and Rachel Hollis.Stewart Cook/Variety/Shutterstock
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Dave wrote two self-help books andhosted a podcasttitled “Rise Together” in the years leading up to his death.
In 2020, he pennedGet Out of Your Own Way, in which he discussed excessive drinking and problems in his marriage following his departure from Disney, according toTHR.
The second book,Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were MeantFor, was published in 2021.
His most recent release, a children’s book titledHere’s to Your Dreams, was published in Nov. 2022.
source: people.com
