Gilbert Gottfried cozied up to pal Chris Rock in heartbreaking final post just days before Aladdin comic’s sudden death
GILBERT Gottfried’s final personal Instagram post was a show of support for fellow comedian and friend Chris Rock, after actor Will Smith slapped him at the Oscar awards.
The squawky voiced comedian and actor, who died suddenly on Tuesday, captioned his last post: “Which is the worst crime? Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?”
He accompanied it with a picture of himself and Chris sitting together, smiling.
On Tuesday, Gilbert’s family announced his passing following a long illness.
They shared on Facebook: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness.
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“In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend, and father to his two young children.”
They added: “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.”
According to TMZ, Gilbert’s rep, Glenn Schwartz, revealed the actor died from a “heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.”
Gilbert was best known for his very distinctive voice, most famous showcased when he played the parrot Iago in the 1992 animated classic Aladdin.
Gilbert was also heard as the duck from 2000 through 2011 in the now famous Aflac commercials.
As a comedian, he was a legend among his peers, including Chris Rock.
Gilbert came to his defense a day after Will stormed the stage at the Academy Awards following an ill-received joke by Chris about his wife Jada Pinkett’s hair loss.
After the confrontation, a stunned Chris said: “Will Smith just smacked the s**t out of me.”
While the the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum would later win Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in King Richard, the academy still voted to ban him from all events for the next decade.
in an emergency meeting, the Academy’s Board of Governors revealed their decision.
The statement read: “The Board of Governors has decided, for a period of 10 years, from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.”
Will also reacted to the decision with his own statement that read: “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
More to follow…
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