Hollywood is morning the death of Gilbert Gottfried.
The comedian’s family confirmed the tragic news via Twitter on Tuesday, saying the 67-year-old died after battling “a long illness.”
“In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children,” the family’s statement read. “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor. Love, the Gottfried family.”
Gottfried’s good friend and publicist, Glenn Schwartz, later told the Washington Post that Gottfried died at 2:35 p.m. ET Tuesday in Manhattan. Schwartz said Gottfried died of complications from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II—a common “multi-system disorder” that affects the skeletal and cardiac muscles. According to John Hopkins, the disorder can cause muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing, and abnormal heart rhythms.
Known for his irreverent comedy style and unique voice, Gottfried built a diverse resume of work that included everything from TV commercials and weekly podcasts to raunchy stand-up specials and children’s movies. Some of his most notable projects were films like Problem Child, Look Who’s Talking Too, Aladdin, and Dr. Dolittle, as well as TV programs such as Saturday Night Live, the Fairly OddParents, Disney’s House of Mouse, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Immediately after Gottfried’s death was announced, a number of celebrities took to social media to express their condolences and pay tribute to the veteran entertainer. You can read some of the messages below.
