Caitlyn Jenner’s Friend Found Dead in Canyon

A Hollywood screenwriter, author and former celebrity insider has been identified as the hiker found dead on a popular Los Angeles trail over the weekend.

William Hasley, 78, was discovered Saturday evening near Runyon Canyon, the well-known Hollywood hiking spot frequented by celebrities, fitness buffs and tourists. The Los Angeles Fire Department said crews responded around 7:05 p.m. and launched an air rescue operation, but Hasley could not be saved.

The writer was best known to many as Caitlyn Jenner’s friend and ghostwriter. He helped pen Jenner’s 1996 self-help book, Finding the Champion Within, which highlighted the former Olympic athlete’s accomplishments and offered readers a 10-step program for changing their lives.

Hasley said in his biography that he and Jenner became “fast friends” while he was working on an Olympics-related project. Jenner later asked him to write the book, which was published by Simon & Schuster.

But Hasley’s Hollywood connections went far beyond Jenner.

He was also the former husband of actress Robin Riker, who rose to fame in the 1980s on the Showtime sitcom Brothers, where she played Kelly Hall. Riker went on to become a familiar face on television, later appearing on shows including The Bold and the Beautiful as Beth Logan.

Hasley built his own long career in entertainment as a screenwriter, with television credits that included Murder, She Wrote, Highway to Heaven, Swift Justice, Ghost Stories, Kung Fu and The Young Riders. He also wrote screenplays for major studios including Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox.

Officials said Hasley was found in an area near Runyon Canyon, close to his home. LAFD Air Operations lowered rescuers to reach him and medical treatment was administered, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A neighbor who said they saw Hasley earlier that same day was stunned by the tragic news.

“I just saw him on Saturday carrying groceries,” the neighbor told The Post. “It’s very sad he had to die all alone like that.”

The circumstances surrounding Hasley’s death remain unclear. Temperatures in the Los Angeles area were reportedly in the low-to-mid 60s around the time he died, making heat an unlikely obvious factor. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released a cause of death and has deferred an official determination.

Hasley also spent years teaching screenwriting at UCLA, where he helped aspiring writers sharpen their scripts and find their voices in a constantly changing industry.

His biography described him as an environmentalist, teacher, volunteer and sports lover who stayed active when he wasn’t writing.

“When Will isn’t meeting a deadline, you’ll most likely find him fighting City Hall over an environmental issue, writing an article, teaching a writing class at UCLA, volunteering in a soup kitchen, or speaking to a youth organization,” the biography said.

The bio also noted that Hasley enjoyed celebrity golf tournaments, showbiz softball and horseback riding with the “infamous Hole in the Wall Gang.”

Representatives for Jenner and UCLA were reportedly contacted for comment.

For now, the death of the veteran Hollywood writer has left friends, neighbors and entertainment insiders with questions — and a sad final scene on one of Los Angeles’ most famous trails.