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Disney Channel cancels 'Descendants 3' red carpet in wake of Cameron Boyce's death

The Walt Disney Company is instead donating to a charity Boyce worked with and will dedicate the telecast of "Descendants 3" in his memory.
Image: Actor Cameron Boyce arrives for WE Day California at the Forum in Inglewood, California
Actor Cameron Boyce arrives for WE Day California at the Forum in Inglewood, California.Robyn Beck / AFP - Getty Images file

LOS ANGELES — Disney Channel announced that it's canceling the red carpet premiere event for "Descendants 3" following the death of star Cameron Boyce over the weekend.

Boyce played Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, starting with 2015's "Descendants" and reprised the role in the 2017 sequel. The 20-year-old actor died on Saturday from a seizure caused by epilepsy, a family spokesperson said.

Disney Channel said in a statement Thursday that it would cancel the red carpet premiere for the film that was scheduled for July 22 and instead, "will make a donation to the Thirst Project, a philanthropic organization to which Cameron was deeply committed."

"With permission from the Boyce family, Disney Channel will dedicate the telecast of 'Descendants 3' in Cameron Boyce's memory," the statement continued.

Along with the "Descendants" series, Boyce also appeared in Disney Channel series "Jessie" from 2011 to 2015. His other credits include Disney Junior's "Jake and the Never Land Pirates," Disney XD's series "Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything," and playing Adam Sandler's son in "Grown Ups" and "Grown Ups 2."

Sandler was among those who took to social media to pay tribute to the late actor over the weekend, joining Disney CEO Bob Iger, Zendaya, and his "Jessie" co-star Skai Jackson.

Dove Cameron, who played Mal in "The Descendants," posted an emotional video to her Instagram on Tuesday in which she read an open letter to Boyce's parents.

"Over the last six years, since he was only 14, Cameron talked me down from countless ledges, talked me through eating disorders, helped me out of a dark relationship and through endless breakdowns," Cameron said.

"But what was special about Cameron was who he was in the small moments when maybe no one was looking," the 23-year-old actress said. "The moments in between the big ones when he didn’t have to be good or kind, Cameron was always good and kind. He was selfless and generous. He was magnanimous."

Disney Channel said in a statement over the weekend that Boyce was “an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person and, above all else, he was a loving and dedicated son, brother, grandson and friend.”