Gerard Butler has written an emotional tribute to his “dear friend” Darius Campbell Danesh.
The actor, known for his portrayal of Spartan king Leonidas in Zack Snyder’s hit film 300, revealed how “devastated” he was by the sudden death of his “true brother in arms”.
She offered her thoughts and love to Darius, Avril and Booth’s “wonderful mom and dad,” along with her “two brilliant siblings” Aria and Cyrus.
Darius, 41, was found unresponsive in a room inside the Berkman Apartments across the street from the Mayo Clinic Specialty Treatment Center in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11. He had registered under the name Morgan Brown, a source said.
Campbell Danesh had become close friends with Butler, his fellow Scot, in recent months and was among the last people to be photographed with him before his death.
The pair are believed to have been introduced by pop legend Rod Stewart after the colour-blind singer moved to America.
Recent photos show Darius and Butler walking barefoot together near the beach in Malibu and at the Coachella rock festival last April. In March, they traveled to Glasgow together.
Butler paid tribute to his friend today, writing: “Those lucky enough to have known Darius for more than a few minutes were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely contained zest for life.
Gerard Butler revealed how ‘devastated’ he was by the sudden death of his ‘real brother in arms’ Darius Campbell Danesh
Darius (left) pictured with Glasgow hairdresser Taylor Ferguson (centre) and actor Gerard Butler (right) in March
Actor Gerard Butler goes barefoot while strolling along the shores of Malibu with Darius Campbell Danesh
“He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice and a genuinely warm hug that few could resist, nor would they want to!!!
“He was an incredible talent, a singer whose voice touched your soul and an actor with great presence. But most importantly, he had the heart of a lion. He was bigger and brighter than the sun and such an infectious energy that could light up a room in a matter of seconds.
“Our boy Darius was always constant and unwavering in his passion for life. But a bigger constant was his dream to inspire others to better themselves. He talked the talk but boy, he walked the walk.
Butler paid tribute to his friend today, writing: “Those lucky enough to have known Darius for more than a few minutes were deeply moved by his contagious laugh and barely contained zest for life.”
“He had such purity of thought, deep wisdom and an abiding gratitude for people, for life, a compassion for all. His hilarious self-deprecating sense of humor (he was funny as shit) allowed him to stay humble, which he valued deeply.
“Darius’s” undying commitment to serving people – his family, his friends (none but me) and the world at large made him the perfect friend. He led by example but was also a teacher as he pushed those he loved to be the best possible versions of themselves.
“The universe unfolds in ways that we may not agree with or even understand. Somewhere in there I believe there is, or will be, some meaning as to why it left us so soon. If only teaching us to live with that open heart, putting others first and never taking ourselves too seriously as we learn to navigate this bewildered world we live in then, might be enough.
“But something tells me there will be many more waves made by our boy Darius down below. My heart aches. But go ahead, I’ll beat my drum the loudest and celebrate life and all its beautiful moments because my brother proved to be a great way to do it.”
It comes after former beauty queen Claire Caudwell, 53, revealed she had an 18-month “on and off relationship” with tragic Darius Campbell Danesh and has been left devastated by his sudden death.
The phones4U founder’s former partner John Caudwell has opened up about his romance with the star, praising her as “a wonderful human being”.
He said he had an “on and off relationship” for about 18 months with the singer and theater star who was found dead aged 41 in a US hotel apartment last Thursday.
But in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, she revealed they remained ‘fantastic friends’ after splitting up around three years ago.
Claire said the news of his death had left her “heartbroken” and she had no idea he had any personal issues or problems.
Former beauty queen Claire Caudwell, 53, had an “on and off relationship” for around 18 months with the tragic singer and theater star, pictured together, who was found dead aged 41 last Thursday in a flat hotel in the United States.
The glamorous socialite told her 28,000 Instagram followers of her sadness on Wednesday, posting a tribute to him, pictured
The glamorous socialite told her 28,000 Instagram followers of her sadness on Wednesday, saying: ‘This post is made with the heaviest of hearts right now as I heard the news today as one of my dearest friends has passed from suddenly
“I am beyond shocked and saddened and my love and deepest condolences go out to his wonderful family. I am sure my love you are singing to the angels.
In one sentence, filled with heart and broken heart emojis, she added: “You were my angel.” Darius my love
Claire, who lives with her son Jacobi, 18, from her relationship with philanthropist Caudwell, told MailOnline: “I’m completely heartbroken and feel like I’ve lost one of my dearest friends. I loved him so much and my heart goes out to his family, his wonderful parents and siblings.’
Claire, pictured with ex-partner Caudwell, says she is heartbroken after Darius’ death last week
Claire started dating Scottish star Darius around 2018 shortly after his final split from his wife, Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge. Pictured: Darius and Claire in one of their social media posts
Darius, pictured in one of his social media posts, first met Claire around 2004. He supported events for the Caudwell Children charity founded by his former partner.
Claire started dating Scottish star Darius around 2018 shortly after his final split from his wife, Canadian actress Natasha Henstridge. But she first met him around 14 years earlier when she supported events for the charity Caudwell Children, founded by her former partner, after she rose to fame on TV shows Popstars and Pop Idol in 2001
The singer befriended Claire and her then-partner Caudwell, even visiting her mother Beryl and singing songs at her bedside, including Nessun Dorma and Nat King Cole’s Smile, after she stayed in home due to a stroke.
Claire said: “We first met about 18 years ago when he came off Pop Idol and was doing the celebrity circuit. He came to our Caudwell Children’s Charity Ball as a guest to support us at the time .
“There were a couple of other charity things that we saw him at over the next couple of years.
“I didn’t see him for 10 years or more after that because he moved to America when he married Natasha. He was doing well there and I never saw him.
Darius had serenaded John Caudwell’s mother several times before her death, and was pictured with her in pictures on Claire’s social media.
Claire, pictured with Darius, said their relationship was on and off when it first started because he was on tour with a show for a few months, so they got together as and when
She said she spent about 18 months together with Darius, photographed together, inside and out
“Then about four or five years ago, I was taking my mom to see the show Funny Girl that was on tour.
“He came to my local theater in Stoke-on-Trent. I saw on the TV, probably Loose Women, that it was on, and my mum was already taking me.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God,’ and it inspired me to reach out to him, to see if we could say ‘Hi’ to him at the end of the show or something.
“I managed to get in touch with him and he was delighted to hear from me and said, ‘Why don’t we have dinner before the show?’, so we did with my mum, my sister and a couple of friends.
“We had an early dinner and then he performed, and he came to see us again after the show, and he brought flowers for my mum, which was lovely.
“He was on tour so I didn’t see him for about another month, but then we had dinner again.”
Describing how the relationship began, she said: “It was pretty much on and off because I was on tour with the show for the next few months, so we got together as and when.
Claire explained that Darius traveled a lot while he was at home with his son. He said he decided it was best for them to stay friends and they stayed friends
“I went to join him for a couple of shows and then he went to L.A., so I didn’t see him for a little while longer, but then I went to L.A. It was kind of a hit, and he went , although always with a friendship.’
Claire posted a series of personal snaps to MailOnline showing them enjoying time together and even sharing a hot tub in the snow during a ski holiday in Vail, Colorado.
But she added: “Ultimately, with her career, and me being at home with my son, it wasn’t ideal because I couldn’t be jumping around. The summer was coming up and she was obviously looking forward to spending some time with him, but he had commitments everywhere.
“I was doing a lot of work and I decided it was best for us to stay friends. There was no drama or falling out. It just seemed to make sense and we stayed friends.
“I wanted a partner who could spend more time with me. We must have spent about 18 months together on or off.
Darius was close friends with Claire and John. She spent time with them and sang at John’s mother’s funeral
“So eventually we stopped seeing each other in a romantic way, but we remained great friends.”
Your relationship with…