Comedian Patrice O’Neal dead at 41. No, sadly, this is not a another celebrity death hoax. Tragically, Patrice O’Neal died Tuesday morning from complications of a stroke he suffered last month. The comedian’s booking agent released a statement announcing O’Neal’s death a short time ago.
“It is with terrible sadness we must report that Patrice O’Neal has passed away this morning at 7:00am due to the complications of the stroke he suffered on October 19,” the statement said. “Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius. His mother, who was also his best friend, was at his side.
“Patrice is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo; his step daughter Aymilyon, sister Zinder, and his mother Georgia,” the statement continued. “The family wishes to thank all of the fans and friends who have expressed an outpouring of love and support for Patrice these past weeks. We ask that you please respect the family’s request for privacy at this difficult time.”
Patrice O’Neal appeared on The Comedy Central roast of Charlie Sheen and guest starred on such shows as The Office, Arrested Development, Chappelle’s Show and was a regular on The Opie & Anthony Radio Show on the Sirius radio network. Patrice O’Neal: Elephant in the Room,” the comedian’s first hour-long special, aired in February on Comedy Central.
O’Neal, who battled diabetes, suffered a stroke on October 19 as a result of the disease, but little was released about his condition afterwards.
Gregg Hughes, aka Opie from The Opie & Anthony Show, posted his sadness over O’Neal’s death on his Twitter feed. “Yes it’s true that our pal Patrice O’Neal has passed away. The funniest and best thinker i’ve ever known PERIOD. #devastatedâ€.