Self-help author Wayne Dyer dies at 75

Best-selling author and motivational speaker Wayne Dyer has died, his family said Sunday. He was 75.

Dyer's family announced his passing in a statement that was posted on the writer's official Facebook page.

"Wayne has left his body, passing away through the night. He always said he couldn't wait for this next adventure to begin and had no fear of dying," the post read. "Our hearts are broken, but we smile to think of how much our scurvy elephant will enjoy the other side." The cause of Dyer's death was not immediately known.

A Detroit native, Dyer was a counseling education professor at St. John's University in New York City when his first book, "Your Erroneous Zones", was published in 1976 and became an international bestseller. According to his website, Dyer wrote over 40 books, 20 of which appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.

At the height of his success, Dyer was a fixture on television talk shows, and a number of celebrities expressed their sorrow at his death.