Dave Hollis, former president of worldwide distribution for Walt Disney Studios, a Christian author and social media influencer, died at his home in Texas on Feb. 11. He was 47.
Hollis, whose ex-wife Rachel Hollis wrote the bestseller Girl, Wash Your Face, was pronounced dead Sunday at his home in Dripping Springs, a city on the outskirts of Austin, according to Hays County Justice of the Peace Andrew Cable. An autopsy will be performed.
A representative for Hollis’ family said he died peacefully Saturday night at his home outside Austin, Texas, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He had been hospitalized recently for heart problems.
Rachel wrote about Dave’s sudden death in an Instagram post on Tuesday, asking for prayers.
“We are devastated,” she wrote. “I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them. Please wrap the kids in prayers as we try and navigate through the unthinkable.”
Hollis is survived by his four children: Jackson, Sawyer, Ford and Noah.
Hollis had a 17-year career with Disney, working his way up to become president of the theatrical distribution division. During his tenure as the division’s president from 2011-2018, he played a key role in the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise, as well as the Avengers series, Frozen and Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster superhero film Black Panther (2018), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Under Hollis’s leadership, the studio experienced amazing success at the box office. In 2016, it became the first studio to surpass $7 billion in global ticket sales in just one year.
In 2018, Hollis left Disney to relocate with his family and work alongside his then-wife Rachel as CEO of their company ChicMedia. The parents of four moved from Los Angeles to the Austin area, collaborated on live streams, podcasts and organized life-affirming conferences. In their podcast, “Rise Together,” they focused on marriage.
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