Sandra Bullock's partner, Bryan Randall, dead after a private ALS diagnosis, age 57

• Sandra Bullock's longtime partner, Bryan Randall, has died after a private battle with ALS.
• Randall's family announced the news of his death in a statement to People magazine on Monday.
• His family said he died on Saturday after receiving an ALS diagnosis three years ago.

Bryan Randall, actor Sandra Bullock's longtime partner, died over the weekend after a private diagnosis of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 57. 

Randall's publicist announced the news of the model-turned-photographer's death in a statement to Insider on Monday. People magazine first reported his death.

"It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS," the family said, adding, "Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request."

Randall's family continued, "We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours."

Bullock and Randall first met when he photographed "The Blind Side" actor's son Louis's birthday in 2015, People reported.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a is a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and in the spinal cord, making voluntary movements like walking, talking, and even eating becoming more difficult over time.