Legendary Comedian Paul Mooney Dead At 79 After Suffering 'Sudden Heart Attack'
May 19 2021, Published 11:37 a.m. ET
Legendary comedian Paul Mooney has died.
The star -- known for his work with Richard Pryor -- passed away on Wednesday at 5:30 AM after suffering a "sudden heart attack."
Mooney's family confirmed the devastating news.
They revealed the comedian died at his home in Oakland, CA.
According to reports, paramedics tried to revive him at the scene but were unable to.
He was 79 years old.
His representative, Cassandra Williams, told The Sun his death "just happened.”
Despite claiming Mooney had no prior health issues, some reports claim he had allegedly been suffering from dementia for some time now.
"He was with family. It was in his home," Williams said of his death.
His Twitter account seemingly confirmed his death.
"Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts ...you’re all are the best!...... Mooney World .. The Godfather of Comedy," a tweet on Wednesday read. "ONE MOON MANY STARS! .. To all in love with this great man.. many thanks."
Mooney was born in Louisiana on August 4, 1941, before moving to Oakland where he grew up.
He started his career as a circus ringmaster -- no joke -- which gave him the ammunition to write and perform jokes.
His first job in the business was writing for Pryor.
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Mooney is possibly best well-known for his work on Brewster's Millions, Pryor's Place, and Meet the Blacks.
Several celebrities are taking to social media to pay tribute to the legendary star, including filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
"Paul Mooney. A comedy giant. I recall listening to his RACE album in college and how formative it was. Yeah, the jokes. But more so, the freedom. He spoke freely and fearlessly about feelings and experiences others found difficult to express," she tweeted on Wednesday morning.
"May he be truly free now. Rest, sir."
