Ralphie May Dead: Stand-Up Comedian Dies At Age 45 Due To Cardiac Arrest

Comedian Ralphie May has died at the age of 45 at his private residence in Las Vegas on Friday morning, according to TMZ. Ralphie May had been battling pneumonia for a total of six weeks and died of cardiac arrest. According to his rep, there was someone in the residence who discovered his body. May’s publicist, Stacey Pokluda, confirmed his death in a statement to Variety magazine.

“We are heartbroken to announce the untimely death of our friend, Ralphie May… Ralphie had been battling pneumonia and had cancelled a handful of dates over the last month in an effort to recover. Earlier this morning at a private residence in Las Vegas his body was discovered.”

Though the comedian had been battling pneumonia over the last week, Ralphie continued performing his scheduled gigs in Las Vegas.

After coming in second on Last Comic Standing in 2003, Ralphie May rose to fame and his stand-up comedy career took off. Since then, the beloved comedian has starred in several televised comedy specials. May landed several comedy series on Netflix and Comedy Central. Ralphie has since continued touring around the country.

Ralphie May’s last performance was held Thursday night at Harrah’s in Las Vegas.

Back in 2015, Ralphie and his wife Lahna Turner, who is also a comedian, filed for divorce. Ralphie was said to be quite devastated by the split. Following the breakup, Ralphie endured a custody battle over their two children by the names of April June May and August James May.

Ralphie’s comedy specials on Comedy Central included Girth of a Nation and Too Big to Ignore. The famed comedian also tapped specials on Netflix such as Unruly and Imperfectly Yours.

On Wednesday, Ralphie May won the Casino Comedian of the Year at the Global Gaming Expo.

Members of the comedy community have since shared their condolences and stories about the comedian. Many celebs have posted tributes to social media after news of his death emerged.

Gabriel Iglesias shared his heartbreak after learning of the loss of the comedian.

I'm at a loss for words to hear about the passing of comedian Ralfie May. He was a friend to many and a father of 2 beautiful children. RIP? pic.twitter.com/nGsq63xN0c

— G a b r i e l – I g l e s i a s (@fluffyguy) October 6, 2017

“I’m at a loss for words to hear about the passing of comedian Ralfie May… He was a friend to many and a father of 2 beautiful children. RIP.”

Dane Cook tweeted on Friday that Ralphie May was a good guy and a very funny person.

“Woa… man.. this sucks.”

He then offered his condolences to his family and fans.

Comedian Kevin Smith was shocked and upset upon hearing the news of Ralphie May’s death. Breuer said he promised to put him in a Jay and Silent Bob movie.

“NO! #RalphieMay was such a nice guy! Last time we talked backstage at @zaniesnashville I promised to put him in the Jay/Bob movie. D*****… “

Ralphie May had shows that were scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Later this month, the comedian was set to hit tour stops in Tennessee, Alabama, and Ohio.

[Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images]