Chelsea Handler pays tribute to her TV sidekick Chuy Bravo, who died at 63: 'I loved this nugget in a big way'

Chelsea Handler is remembering the laughs she had with her beloved “Nugget.”

As news of Chuy Bravo’s death — at age 63 — circulated on Sunday, Handler paid tribute to her Chelsea Lately sidekick and friend. The Mexican-born actor and comedian appeared on Handler’s E! Show from 2007 to 2014, and audience members will remember her affectionately calling Bravo, who had dwarfism, her “Little Nugget.”

“I loved this nugget in a big way, and I took great pleasure in how many people loved him as much as I did and do,” Handler wrote along with photos of some of their hijinks.

She went on to say that Bravo (born: Jesus Melgoza) “gave us so much laughter and I’ll never forget the sound of his laughter coming from his office into mine. Or his ‘business calls’ with his ‘business manager,’ or his shoe rack with all his children-sized shoes.”

Handler said she will also “never forget him coming to Christmas with my family one year in the Florida Keys, and when my niece who was 5 or 6 at the time — saw him, she ran in the other direction saying she was scared. My sister and I were mortified and were apologizing to Chuy, who told us, ‘It’s ok, lots of little kids get scared when they see big kids coming their way.”

Her post ended by saying, “I love you, Chuy!”

Handler’s tribute was flooded with supportive comments from friends — including Diane Kruger, Kate Beckinsale and Maria Shriver — expressing condolences.

Handler had just posted a birthday tribute to Bravo earlier this month. In it, she called him her “OG Nugget.”

News of Bravo’s death came on Sunday — and it’s still unclear what caused it. In a 2012 interview with Latina, he said he was a prostate cancer survivor and recovering alcoholic.

Beyond providing Handler’s comedic relief on her former show, Bravo had roles in movies, including The Honeymooners and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. And he competed on the reality competition series Splash.

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