Gilbert Gottfried Tributes Pour in After Comedian Dies Following Illness

A wave of tributes to the beloved comedian Gilbert Gottfried have poured in following the announcement of his death after a long illness.

Gottfried, known for his often crude and outrageous sense of humor and the abrasive voice that he used while performing, died at the age of 67 on Tuesday. Gottfried is survived by his wife Dara, their two young children Lily and Max, his sister Karen and his nephew Graham. The death was announced by his family in a statement shared on social media.

"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness," Gottfried's family said. "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 all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honor," they continued.

Gottfried's longtime friend and publicist Glenn Schwartz said in a statement to Newsweek that his death was caused by the heart condition recurrent ventricular tachycardia. The condition was a complication of myotonic dystrophy type 2, a rare form of muscular dystrophy.

Shortly after Gottfried's death was announced, many paid tribute to the comedian by sharing his version of the infamously dirty joke "the Aristocrats" online. In addition to achieving an iconic status in the world of standup comedy, Gottfried was well known for acting roles that included providing the voice of the parrot Iago in the Disney film Aladdin.

Those who worked closely with Gottfried paid tribute to the comedian as an entertainer and as the person that they knew behind the scenes.

"Gilbert passed away this afternoon," Gottfried's comedy manager Tommy Nicchi said in a statement to Newsweek. "As an entertainer, he was as close as you'll find to a living legend. He was a bridge in stand-up comedy connecting 6 decades, from the 1970s through the 2020s."

"And as great as he was on stage and on screen, he was even greater at home with his wife and his kids where he was truly a beloved father and partner," Nicchi added. "Gilbert was truly special and there will never be another one like him."

Frank Santopadre, the co-host of Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, said in a statement that the "man behind the jokes" was much different than the comedic persona who presented "brash, shocking and frequently offensive" humor to the public.

"Those who loved him and were fortunate enough to share his orbit knew a person who was sweet, sensitive, surprisingly shy and filled with a childlike sense of playfulness and wonder," Santopadre said. "He'll be dearly missed by family, friends, fans and comedy lovers the world over. To quote Gilbert himself, 'Too soon!'"

Numerous tributes also quickly appeared on social media, from both fans and those who had worked with Gottfried or knew him in his personal life.

"Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily," tweeted Seinfeld star Jason Alexander. "What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family. #ripGilbertGottfried."

"I was a lucky guy to be able call one of the funniest guys in the world my friend," standup comic Dave Attell tweeted. "Thank you Gilbert. R.I.P."

"Absolutely gutted to hear about my friend Gilbert," tweeted "Weird" Al Yankovic. "One of the funniest guys ever. An enormous loss to the world of comedy. Much love to his friends and family."

"I saw Gilbert perform in 1985 and when he entered to applause he said, 'Thank you, thank you very much,'" Conan O'Brien tweeted. "He then continued to say 'thank you' repeatedly for ten full minutes. It was the nerviest, funniest thing I had seen. So sorry to lose this sweet and delightfully funny man."

"Rip Gilbert Gottfried, a brilliant comedian and just the sweetest guy," tweeted actress Jennifer Tilly. "We worked together on 'Goosed.' Everybody adored him."

Original Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman shared a photo of herself and Gottfried on the set of the film Problem Child 2, describing him as "Dear, sweet, hilarious Gilbert."

"Big loss to the world of comedy," comedian and former U.S. Senator Al Franken tweeted. "Gilbert Gottfried has left us. Fearless and hilarious!!! A truly lovely man, loved by all in comedy. May his memory be a blessing to his family, his friends & all he made laugh!"

"So sorry to hear this," tweeted Donald Trump Jr. "Gilbert was a great guy and a comedic genius. R.I.P."

"I shall miss you, my friend, my sometimes foil, my always pain in my side, usually from the belly laughs," Star Trek star George Takei tweeted. "The heavens are a great deal louder with you out there now, I'm sure. Keep 'em shaking their heads and smiling, Gilbert."

"Gilbert Gottfried," tweeted standup comic Jackie Kashian. "A great comic. An entire human. #RIP."

"Madrid, 1985. We were constantly being mistaken for one another so we developed an idea for a sitcom, starring us, called Thicker Than Water," actor Curtis Armstrong tweeted alongside a picture of him and Gottfried. "We would play twin brothers: my character was a surgeon, his an NBC page. Nobody bit but it still makes me laugh."

Many shared or commented on a tweet that Gottfried had shared on January 21 of this year, featuring a photo of him alongside fellow comedians Bob Saget and Louie Anderson, both of whom had died the same month.

"This photo is very sad now," Gottfried captioned the photo. "RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed."

The magic duo Penn and Teller shared photos of Gottfried in a post on Facebook, alongside the comment "We love you #gilbertgottfried."

Penn Jillette and comedian Paul Provenza co-directed the 2005 documentary The Aristocrats, which is about the history of the joke of the same name, including Gottfried's role in making it famous among the general public.

Provenza paid tribute to Gottfried on Twitter, calling him a "true comic genius" and "a dear old friend who never failed to make me laugh in the darkest of times."

"Man, do I need him now," Provenza continued. "Love and strength to his family and loved ones."