It's been a pretty shocking week in terms of celebrity deaths, and it was Verne Troyer who topped the list over the weekend when it was revealed that he passed away at the age of 49. He'd only recently been in hospital over his issues with depression and alcoholism, and fans across the world are devastated that he's lost his battle.

Verne Troyer at the premiere for 'Boo! A Madea Halloween'Verne Troyer at the premiere for 'Boo! A Madea Halloween'

Less than three weeks after the 'Austin Powers' star was hospitalized under an involuntary psychiatric hold after a concerned friend of his contacted emergency services claiming that he was 'extremely upset, drunk and suicidal', the actor rests in peace after succombing to his troubles.

'It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today', read a statement on his Facebook page. 'Over the years he's struggled and won... but unfortunately this time was too much.'

It's not been made clear exactly what the cause of death was, but it is thought to be related to his issues with drinking and his mental health. Only last year Verne, who stands at just 2 feet 8 inches due to his achondroplasia dwarfism, was in rehab for his alcohol addiction, during which time he told fans, 'While it's not always been an easy fight, I'm willing to continue my fight day by day.'

As well as being known for his role as Mini-Me in the 'Austin Powers' films, he's also been in 'Jingle All the Way', 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and he played Griphook the Goblin in 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'. 

More: Verne Troyer hospitalised for psychiatric evaluation

He made frequent appearances in Keith Lemon's comedy quiz show 'Celebrity Juice', and the host paid tribute to his friend on Instagram. 'Gonna miss that little dude. Magical powers to his family and many many close friends', he wrote.