Roy Horn, famed magic and entertainment performer and one half of Siegfried & Roy passed away at the age of 75 after catching COVID-19.

His longtime performance partner Siegfried said in a statement to TMZ:

“Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend. From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world. There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried. Roy was a fighter his whole life, including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy’s life.”

Roy Horn died just a little over a week after testing positive for the virus. The Siegfried & Roy act was a staple in Las Vegas for decades and known for featuring tigers and other big cats. Roy was famously mauled by a tiger during a performance in 2003. Siegfried and Roy both contended that the 2003 incident was not an attack by the tiger but rather an attempt by the animal to save Roy’s life. Roy claimed at the time that he was having a stroke and the tiger was dragging him offstage.