We have tragic news to report out of Hollywood today.
Sean Swayze, the brother of the late Hollywood icon Patrick Swayze, has passed away.
He was just 63 years old.
News of Sean’s passing comes courtesy of a statement from his cousin, Rachel Leon.
“I’m heartbroken to share that my cousin Sean Swayze passed away today. This is a picture he took recently for us to promote the Dirty Dancing crawfish theme,” Leon wrote in an Instagram post.
“My daughter, a marketing manager, came up with this idea to honor our late cousin, Patrick Swayze. We sent the T-shirts to Sean, who wore them proudly for us. He was always fun and full of life.”
According to a death certificate obtained by People, Sean passed away on December 15.
His cause of death is listed as “severe metabolic acidosis, esophageal varices, and alcoholic liver cirrhosis.”
Patrick Swayze died in 2009 after battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
“Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months,” his representative said a statement at the time.
In her Instagram post, Leon talked about how she and Sean remained close in the years since Patrick’s death.
“Just recently, we were talking about him coming down to Texas to spend time with us, and I was really looking forward to it. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his brother Don Swayze and [Sean’s] children,” she wrote, adding:
“We are praying hard for the entire family during this difficult time. Please know that we love you and are always here for you. Sean, I love you so much, and we will miss you dearly.”
A third Swayze brother, Don, is a working actor who has appeared in such television shows as The X Files, Sons of Anarchy, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and Deadwood.
Sean is survived by his daughter, Cassie Swayze, and his son, Kyle Swayze.
Our condolences go out to his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.