Comedian Gilbert Gottfried Passes Away Due To Heart Problems

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who is known for his performances in 'Aladdin' and 'Beverly Hills Cop II', passed away. According to the family, the comedian died on Tuesday, April 12, at the age of 67. 

His family put out a statement talking about their current state of mind and urging people to laugh in Gottfried’s memory. “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after 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. Although today is a sad day for us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor,” the statement read, according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter.

The report also adds that his publicist Glenn Schwartz has revealed that the comedian died in Manhattan from recurrent ventricular tachycardia due to type II myotonic dystrophy. The rare disease can trigger a dangerously abnormal heartbeat.

His manager, Tommy Nichi also put out a statement talking about his relationship with him. In the statement, he referred to the comedian as, “a bridge in stand-up comedy connecting six decades, from the 1970s through the 2020s.”

From Brooklyn, the comedian was the son of a hardware store owner and a high school dropout. He started his career as a cast member in Saturday Night Live in 1980, but he had very little to do in the show. On the big screen, he is known for his performance as the business manager Sidney Bernstein in ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ (1987). He played Johnny Crunch in ‘The Adventures of Ford Fairlane’ (1990) and was the voice of the wisecracking parrot Iago in Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ (1992). Besides this, he also played the adoption agent Igor Peabody in ‘Problem Child’ (1990) and in its sequels released in 1991 and 1995.