Criss Angel Cancels Shows After Son's Leukaemia Diagnosis

The star, real name Christopher Sarantakos, headlines Cirque Du Soleil production BeLIEve at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Sin City, but he called off this weekend's (24-25Oct15) performances to deal with a family crisis.

Criss made the announcement on Twitter.com, writing, "In light of a family emergency the news I was going to announce this weekend will be postponed. Thank you xc (sic)". He then posted a photo of himself cuddling his infant son, and thanked fans for their "thoughts and prayers".

A statement from the show's production company later confirmed that Criss' shows will be put on hold until 1 November (15), as he has flown to Australia to be with his 20-month-old son Johnny, who has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

It is the first time the star has missed a show in more than 3,000 performances.

According to the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, this is the first time that the illusionist has publicly confirmed he has a child. Reports suggest he married the toddler's mother a year ago, but they split over the summer (15).