Darius Campbell Danesh: what did actor Gerard Butler say in tribute to ‘brother in arms’ - were they friends?

Actor Gerard Butler has paid tribute to singer Darius Campbell Danesh and said his “heart aches heavily”,  days after his death was announced.

Butler, who is best known for his roles in 300 and P.S: I Love You, released a statement on Instagram to say he has been left “devastated” by the Pop Idol star’s passing.

The family of the 41-year-old singer, who was known just as Darius, announced on Tuesday 16 August that he had been found dead in his US flat on Thursday 11 August. The cause of his death is still unknown.

The last known photo of Darius was taken in June when he was out for a walk with Butler.

So, what did Gerard Butler say in tribute to Darius and were the pair friends?

Here’s what you need to know.

What did Gerard Butler say in tribute to Darius?

Butler shared a photo online of the pair together smiling on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday 18 August UK time.

In the caption, he described Darius as “a true brother in arms” and said he was “always armed with a smile, a booming voice, and a genuinely warm embrace”.

The full statement reads: “I am devastated by the sudden passing of my dear friend Darius, a true brother in arms. My thoughts and love go to his wonderful mum and dad Avril and Booth and his two brilliant brothers Aria and Cyrus.

“To those lucky enough to have met Darius for more than a few minutes, they were deeply moved by his infectious laugh and barely containable zest for life.

“He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice, and a genuinely warm embrace 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.

“It was bigger and brighter than the sun and an energy so contagious he could light up a room in 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, did he walk the walk.

“He had such purity of thought, a deep wisdom and constant gratitude for people, for life, a compassion towards all.

“His hilarious self-deprecating sense of humour allowed him to stay humble - something he valued deeply.

“Darius’ undying commitment to being of service to individuals- his family, his friends (none more so than me) and to the world at large made him the perfect friend.

“He led by example but he was also a teacher, as he pushed those he loved to be the best possible versions of themselves.

“The universe unfolds in ways we may not agree with or even understand. Somewhere in there I believe there is, or will be, some meaning in why he left us so early.

“If it was nothing more than teaching us to live with that open heart, putting others first and never taking ourselves too seriously as we learn to traverse this wonky world we live in then, that might be enough.

“But something tells me there will be way more waves created by our boy Darius further down the line. My heart aches heavily.

“But going forward, I will beat my drum louder and celebrate life and its every beautiful moment because my brother showed me that was a pretty awesome way to go about it.”

Were Gerard Butler and Darius friends?

Yes, the pair were friends.

In one of the last known images of Darius, taken weeks before his sudden death, he could be seen enjoying a walk barefoot with Butler near his Malibu home.

It is believed that Darius and Butler, who are both Scottish, met while they were both living in the US and bonded over their similar backgrounds.

It has also been reported that they were introduced by legendary singer Rod Stewart.

Gerard was born in Paisley, while Darius was born in Glasgow.

Over the years, the two are said to have always made the effort to see each other regularly, although at times they have been living in completely different US states.

While based on the east coast, Darius would make the five-hour flight from Minnesota to Los Angeles.

Butler was also said to have visited Darius at his apartment block in Rochester, Minnesota, a few times.

Who is Gerard Butler?

Gerard James Butler, aged 52, is a Scottish actor and film producer.

After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and Tale of the Mummy (1998).

He then gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of King Leonidas in fantasy war film 300 (2006). That role earned him nominations for an Empire Award for Best Actor and a Saturn Award for Best Actor and a win for MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.

He is now known as one of the most well known Hollywood actors and is known for films such as P.S: I Love You (2007), Law Abiding Citizen (2009), The Ugly Truth (2009), The Bounty Hunter (2010) and Olympus Has Fallen (2013).

As well as being an actor, he was also a producer for Law Abiding Citizen and Olympus Has Fallen.

Butler has been in an on-off relationship with American real-estate property developer Morgan Brown since 2014.

He has no children but has expressed a desire to start a family.

He told People in October 2017 that "in five years, I want to be in a relationship, I’d love to have one or two kids - it’s about time".

In 2019, he announced he was looking to adopt a child on the eve of his 50th birthday, which he celebrated on 13 November that year.

What happened to Darius?

Darius, who first found fame 20 years ago after appearing on ITV talent contest Pop Idol, was found dead in his apartment on Thursday 11 August.

The cause of his death remains unknown.

Campbell Danesh’s family said in a statement released on Tuesday 16 August that he was “found unresponsive in bed in his apartment room in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11 and was pronounced dead in the afternoon by the local medical examiners’ office”.

The family added that “local police confirmed there were no signs of intent or suspicious circumstances”.

Darius’ debut single, Colourblind, was released in July 2002 and went straight to number one.

Since his death the song has re-entered music charts and was in top spot on the iTunes download chart on the morning of Wednesday 17 August.