Caitlyn Jenner’s Friend Found Dead Near Hollywood Canyon Trail

Screenwriter and author William Hasley, a longtime friend and collaborator of Caitlyn Jenner, has been found dead near the popular Runyon Canyon hiking area in the Hollywood Hills, according to multiple media reports and publicly available records.

Veteran Hollywood Writer Identified Near Runyon Canyon

Reports indicate that William Hasley, 78, was discovered on the evening of June 6 near a trail by Hollywood’s Runyon Canyon, a steep network of paths that draws both local residents and visiting hikers. Coverage from several entertainment and local outlets notes that emergency crews reached the location by air after receiving word of a hiker in distress, but Hasley was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Public information released so far describes the incident as a fatal medical or health-related event, and no cause of death has yet been formally disclosed. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s records cited in news coverage list Hasley’s age and identity, but do not elaborate on the circumstances beyond the location and date.

Runyon Canyon, situated just above Hollywood, is one of Los Angeles’s most photographed urban hiking areas, with steep grades, limited shade and summer temperatures that can climb quickly. Hikers can access several loops and ridge trails, many of which offer close views of the surrounding canyons and the city basin below.

Caitlyn Jenner’s Collaborator and Biographer

Hasley became publicly associated with Caitlyn Jenner through his work on the Olympian’s 1996 motivational book “Finding the Champion Within,” a project described in recent coverage as the product of an earlier professional collaboration that grew into a personal friendship. The book presented Jenner’s experiences in elite sport alongside self-help themes, and Hasley’s credited role as coauthor or ghostwriter has been highlighted in multiple retrospectives of his career.

Beyond that book, reports describe Hasley as part of Jenner’s extended inner circle, with his death framed as another personal loss following the separate 2025 canyon accident that killed Jenner’s manager and close friend Sophia Hutchins. Together, the incidents have placed renewed public attention on the canyons and rugged hills that surround Los Angeles, which function simultaneously as recreation areas, residential enclaves and transport corridors.

While Jenner has not issued a detailed public statement about Hasley’s death at the time of recent reporting, media outlets have emphasized the long-running nature of their association, often citing his role in shaping a key phase of Jenner’s post-Olympic public identity.

Career Spanning Television, Film and Teaching

Hasley’s death near Runyon Canyon has also drawn focus to a lengthy Hollywood career that extended well beyond his work with Jenner. Biographical sketches in entertainment and regional outlets describe him as a veteran television writer and screenwriter who contributed to a wide range of episodic series, including crime, fantasy and family dramas produced for major studios.

Among the shows listed in recent coverage are “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Young Riders,” “Highway to Heaven,” “Kung Fu” and other network and syndicated titles, reflecting a career threaded through several decades of American television. Hasley is also reported to have written or developed projects for studios such as Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox, positioning him within the broader ecosystem of Los Angeles screenwriting talent.

In later years, he is said to have shifted part of his focus to teaching, working as a screenwriting instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles. That role placed him among the cadre of industry professionals who bridge the gap between studio lots and film schools, giving aspiring writers access to practical insights from working careers.

Personal details shared in recent obituaries and features note that Hasley had been married to actor Robin Riker, known for roles across television and daytime drama, including a long-running performance on “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Reports state that the pair later divorced but maintained separate careers within the same industry circles.

A Second Tragedy in Jenner’s Circle

Hasley’s death in a canyon setting comes less than a year after a separate, highly publicized accident in another Southern California canyon that claimed the life of Sophia Hutchins, Jenner’s 29-year-old manager and close friend. Hutchins died on July 2, 2025, when the all-terrain vehicle she was driving left Decker Canyon Road near Malibu and plunged hundreds of feet into a ravine, according to previously published law-enforcement summaries and entertainment news coverage.

The proximity in time between Hutchins’s accident and Hasley’s sudden death has been widely noted in recent reporting, with several outlets characterizing the two incidents as successive blows to Jenner’s inner circle. Both events unfolded within the canyon landscapes that frame the Los Angeles and Malibu regions, where narrow, winding roads and steep, exposed slopes are a defining feature.

While the two cases are unrelated, their shared backdrop in Southern California’s canyons has underscored how these rugged spaces intersect with celebrity life, personal recreation and day-to-day travel. For travel-focused readers, the pattern serves as a reminder that the scenic terrain around Los Angeles carries risks even for those familiar with its routes.

Safety Questions Around Popular Canyon Trails

Hasley’s death near Runyon Canyon has renewed conversation about hiker preparedness and safety on some of Los Angeles’s most popular urban trails. Runyon, which sits just a short drive from tourist-heavy areas of Hollywood and the Sunset Strip, attracts a mix of seasoned trail users and first-time visitors who may underestimate the demands of the terrain.

The park’s steeper routes involve substantial elevation gain over a relatively short distance, and large sections offer little shade. In warmer months, those conditions can place added strain on older hikers or on anyone with underlying health issues, especially when combined with inadequate hydration, limited rest stops or a desire to rush for views and photo opportunities.

Travel coverage of the region frequently highlights Runyon Canyon as an easily accessible “must do” hike with skyline and Hollywood Sign views, but incidents such as Hasley’s death illustrate the importance of approaching even short urban hikes with caution. Simple steps such as checking weather forecasts, carrying sufficient water, wearing proper footwear and turning back at early signs of fatigue are regularly cited by outdoor organizations as basic precautions.

For visitors following in the footsteps of celebrities and entertainment-industry figures who frequent these routes, the recent tragedy near Runyon Canyon serves as a sober counterpoint to the trail’s glamorous image, underscoring that the canyons around Los Angeles are genuine backcountry environments rather than simple city sidewalks.