Gilbert Gottfried’s Cause Of Death Revealed As Genetic Heart Abnormality

On Tuesday, April 12, comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at the age of 67.

His family posted a statement to his Instagram account, which read, “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend, and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor. Love, the Gottfried family.”

The "Aladdin" voice actor leaves behind his wife, Dara Kravitz, a daughter named Lily, and a son named Max. Although the family said that he passed away from “a long illness,” a representative for Gottfried, Glenn Schwartz, shared more information about his death.

Gottfried’s representative, Glenn Schwartz, revealed that the late comedian passed away from a heart abnormality called recurrent ventricular tachycardia. The arrhythmia is reportedly caused by myotonic dystrophy Type 2.

According to the National Institutes of Health, myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a genetic disorder that results in progressive muscle wasting and weakness. Although this mostly affects the limbs and face, it can lead to complications for respiratory, skeletal, and cardiac (heart) muscles.

People who are diagnosed with DM often are at a higher risk for experiencing an irregular heartbeat, ventricular tachycardia, an arrhythmia in the lower chambers of the heart (known as ventricles), which causes the heart to beat faster. This quickened heartbeat can cause a significant drop in blood pressure that can be fatal.

The public has been aware of Gottfried’s heart condition for some time. In 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the late comedian canceled a series of live appearances in Montana after his doctors advised him not to fly with his weakened heart.

"Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander was one of the first to pay tribute to the late voice actor. He tweeted, "Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family. #ripGilbertGottfried"

Former "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart tweeted, "RIP Gilbert. Opening for Gilbert Gottfried at Carolines and Princeton Catch was one of the great thrills of my early stand up life. He could leave you gasping for breath…just indescribably unusually hilarious…D---."

Comedian Steve Hofstetter tweeted,  "When comedians turned to Zoom, I had the privilege of helping Gilbert Gottfried & his wife Dara set up his lights and green screen - to perform a new version of an art he'd mastered before I was even born. A kind man. An excellent comic. A memory I treasure. He will be missed."

Mike Beauvais shared a photo of Gilbert Gottfried with the late comedians Bob Saget and Louie Anderson. Both comedians passed away earlier this year. He tweeted, "Gilbert Gottfried posted this picture only three months ago. What a photo. RIP."

Kathy Griffin tweeted, "Gilbert would be the first one to make a joke about this picture today. The first. And he would not hold back."

Dane Cook tweeted, "Sending love to @RealGilbert’s wife Dara, his family & fans. Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny. He was a lovely guy, always friendly & made many people happy."

Conan O'Brien tweeted, "I saw Gilbert perform in 1985 and when he entered to applause he said, 'Thank you, thank you very much.”'He then continued to say 'thank you' repeatedly for ten full minutes. It was the nerviest, funniest thing I had seen. So sorry to lose this sweet and delightfully funny man."

Mark Hamill tweeted, "He was a unique voice in comedy on so many levels. Unpredictable, one-of-a-kind, hilarious & irreplaceable! Thank you for the lifetime of laughs, sir."

George Takei tweeted, "I shall miss you, my friend, my sometimes foil, my always pain in my side, usually from the belly laughs. The heavens are a great deal louder with you out there now, I’m sure. Keep ‘em shaking their heads and smiling, Gilbert."