Legendary Comedian Paul Mooney Dead At 79

Iconic comedian Paul Mooney has died at 79 years old.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, his rep, Cassandra Williams, said he passed away at 5:30 a.m. PST on Wednesday (May 19) at his home in Oakland, California.

While an official cause of death has not been issued, veteran journalist Roland Martin tweeted that Mooney’s cousin, Rudy Ealy, explained to him that Mooney had been suffering from dementia for some time and that he died from a heart attack. The family is planning to release a statement later today.

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A tweet from Mooney’s official twitter account all but confirmed the news stating, “Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts …you’re all are the best!…… Mooney World .. The Godfather of Comedy – ONE MOON MANY STARS! .. To all in love with this great man.. many thanks.”

Mooney rose to stardom over 40 years ago when he became a comedy writer for Richard Pryor. He has also written for groundbreaking TV shows like “In Living Color,” “Sanford & Son” and most recently, “Chappelle’s Show.”

Fans took to Twitter to issue their final words to Mooney and his irreverent comedic style. Here are a few reactions.