'He Was A Character': 'Wahlburgers' Star Henry 'Nacho' Laun Dead At 54
Wahlburgers star Henry "Nacho" Laun has died at the age of 54.
Laun, who was close with Mark Wahlberg and Donnie Wahlberg, reportedly suffered a medical emergency a few weeks ago. According to TMZ, he was found unconscious in a vehicle in a gas station and passed away on Tuesday, June 1, in a Massachusetts hospital.
Sources told the outlet that it is unclear what caused the medical emergency. He was said to be unresponsive and placed on life support in the hospital because he could not breathe on his own. He reportedly showed signs of improvement days before his passing and eventually took a turn for the worst.
Laun — who Mark met during their teen years — was a fan favorite on the A&E reality series, known for partaking in eating challenges. "I think he's a superstar in the making," the Fear star, 49, once said of his buddy.
"Henry, he was a character. He was a very interesting person," Laun's attorney James Neyman told PEOPLE. "He came up in the streets of Boston."
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"He was kind of a natural on the show," Neyman added. "He was a very likable character and wherever we went, he was constantly recognized. ... Wherever we went, maybe it's because we were in Boston, someone would say, 'Hey are you Nacho? Is that Nacho?' He never experienced anything like it. It was almost like a phenomenon."
"I used to joke to myself that [Laun] was just being himself as opposed to acting, but that was just my opinion," he continued.
Laun was said to be close to his mother, who passed away in April 2020. "He took her passing hard as is understandable and regrettably he has passed roughly a year later," the attorney explained.
A GoFundMe — which has since been taken down — had been set up to cover funeral expenses.
"Henry has now joined his mother in Heaven, which he has missed very dearly," the fundraiser read. "His heart is now whole and he is now at peace."
