Disney star Cameron Boyce dies at the age of 20

An actor who rose to fame for his role in the popular Disney franchise Descendants has died at the age of 20.

Cameron Boyce’s cause of death was confirmed by his family to a US media outlet as an “ongoing medical condition".

"It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron," a spokesperson for the Boyce family told ABC News on Saturday evening (local time).

The family confirmed Boyce, from Los Angeles, had “passed away in his sleep due to a seizure” and said they were “utterly heartbroken”.

Boyce had more than eight million followers on Instagram and had posted an image of himself the day before his death.

Fans responded to the sad news on social media with messages of overwhelming grief as they mourned the loss of a favourite who played Carlos in the musical fantasy TV movie franchise.

“This can’t be real! You were just posting, you had so much left to go,” one fan posted.

“Thank you for your amazing work in entertainment over the years and thank you for being a part of my childhood, you will forever be missed Cameron Boyce,” another fan wrote.

One mother expressed her appreciation on behalf of her daughter who is a fan.

“Heartbreaking to hear this sad news in the UK. You shaped my daughter’s childhood she loved watching you and she's heartbroken... watching Descendants will never be the same again,” she said.

Boyce’s family acknowledged that for many fans of the children’s franchise, he was a favourite.

“The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him,” they said.

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