Controversial comedian Gilbert Gottfried dies at 67 after prolonged illness

Noted comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried has died at the age of 67. The news of his death was revealed by his family on his official Twitter page. Gottfried was known for his standup comedy and for roles in films including Aladdin and Problem Child. “In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children,” the statement read. “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honour.”

From 2014 until his death in 2022, Gottfried hosted a podcast, Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, which featured discussions of classic movies and celebrity interviews, most often with veteran actors, comedians, musicians, and comedy writers. Gilbert, a documentary film on Gottfried's life and career, was released in 2017. Gilbert has sparked controversy after his jokes on September 11 attacks went viral. Two weeks after the attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people in 2001, Gottfried joked about it during a roast of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, saying he could not book a direct flight from New York to California. “They said they have to stop at the Empire State Building first,” Gottfried said, drawing laughs and moans of “too soon. ”Reflecting on the moment later, Gottfried said in a television interview, “That’s the way my mind works. I wanted to basically address the elephant in the room.”