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David Gest – the television producer and reality star best known for his tumultuous marriage to Liza Minnelli – has passed away at the age of 62.

David Gest Photo
(Getty Images)

Gest’s body was found at a Four Seasons hotel this morning.

The cause of death is not known, and TMZ is reporting that an autopsy has been scheduled by law enforcement officials.

Born in Los Angeles in 1953, Gest grew up surrounded by celebrities and counted Michael Jackson and his brothers among his closest childhood friends.

He produced the television tribute Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration in 2001.

In recent years he appeared on such UK reality shows as I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity Big Brother.

He was forced to leave the latter series after just 13 days due to medical problems.

That was in January of this year, and it’s believed that Gest’s death was related to those issues.

But despite his long career in television Gest will always be best-known to Americans for his brief marriage to entertainment icon Liza Minnelli.

The relationship ended in very ugly fashion, with Gest telling a judge that Minnelli was usually drunk and frequently abusive.

"Police were called at 10:17 on Tuesday to the Four Seasons Hotel, to reports of an unexplained death of a man in his 60s. London ambulance service were called to the scene," reads a statement about Gest released by London police moments ago.

They added that no foul play is suspected.