Michael Jackson‘s friend and confidant, David Gest, was found dead in a London hotel room Tuesday, the NY Post’s Page Six reports. He was 62.
Gest’s body was found in a room at the swanky Four Seasons hotel, in Westferry Circus, London. A cause of death is not known.
As a teenager Gest was a neighbor of the Jackson 5 in Encino, California. He spent many days at the Jacksons’ Encino compound.
He later went on to be a trusted friend in Michael Jackson‘s tight inner circle. After Michael died in 2009, Gest sold his collection of Jackson memorabilia at auctions to make ends meet.
In 2002, Gest, who was rumored to be bisexual, married actress Liza Minnelli in a star-studded wedding that lasted less than a year.
In 2003, he sued Minelli for spousal support, and she sued him for being an annoyance. The suit was settled out of court in 2007 for nowhere near the $10 million Gest had hoped for.
Gest last appeared on TV’s “Celebrity Big Brother” on Jan. 5.
