While we’re still only in the first portion of 2026, the year has already seen some devastating deaths within Hollywood. Between Catherine O’Hara’s passing, Eric Dane death due to ALS, James Van Der Beek’s death due to cancer, fans have said goodbye to a number of stars. When it comes to Dane and Van Der Beek’s passings, GoFundMe campaigns were subsequently established in the hopes of helping their families financially. Now, a Blue Bloods alum is the latest actor to get one following his death at 42.
Comedian Alex Duong, who appeared on three episodes of the CBS procedural as Sonny Le, “passed away peacefully” Saturday morning following a battle with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer affecting soft tissue, according to People. A GoFundMe was started by a friend, Hilarie Steele, initially to help him get the right diagnosis and care.
Following Duong’s death, the fundraising effort is now being used as a means to help his family. That includes his wife, Christina and their daughter, Everest.
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As of this writing, the GoFundMe is relatively close to its $200,00 goal, as more than $124,000 has been donated. On top of that, the campaign was recently endorsed by a notable celebrity. Jeff Ross, whom Duong frequently worked with on Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle, took to his Instagram Stories to not only pay tribute to his friend but to draw attention to the GoFundMe. He shared the link to his page along with a sweet picture of Duong, Christina, and their daughter shortly after Christina gave birth:
(Image credit: Jeff Ross)
While Ross is known for dishing out harsh burns during roasts, he can also share some truly sentiment thoughts when the occasion arises. The post above and another more candid shot Ross shared to his account seems to indicate that he and Duong became quite close not just through their work on TV but through their work at The Comedy Store. It’s sweet to see Ross taking the time to memorialize his friend and colleague in such a way. Honestly, it’s easy for me to imagine that comics can form tight bonds when they’re working in the trenches, so to speak.
The other celebrity GoFundMe campaigns mentioned earlier were started by either relatives or friends to help the loved ones of the deceased with underlying costs. Eric Dane has a GoFundMe that, as of right now, has raised nearly half a million dollars raised to help provide for his daughters. Meanwhile, Zoé Saldaña, Steven Spielberg and other celebrities donated to James Van Der Beek’s GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $3 million, to benefit his family.
Alex Duong was reportedly loved in both the comedy and acting worlds and, based on the contributions his family has received thus far, it’s easy to get the impression he left a significant mark. It remains to be seen if any other celebrities might endorse Duong’s GoFundMe. In the meantime, we here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts and deepest condolences to Duong’s family and friends during this time.
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