Bob Saget's Daughters Make Heartwarming Appearance at Gilbert Gottfried's Funeral
Bob Saget's daughters Aubrey, Jennifer, and Lara were among the attendees at Gilbert Gottfried's funeral in Westchester, New York on Thursday morning. Gottfried's friend and fellow roasting expert Jeff Ross gave a moving eulogy at the service. Gottfried died on Tuesday at 67, four months after Saget died at 65.
"What was very heartwarming was seeing Bob Saget's daughters at the service," Ross told PEOPLE Thursday. Saget's widow, Kelly Rizzo, also published a tribute to Gottfried on her Instagram Story, alongside an old photo Ross shared with Saget, Gottfried, and Norm MacDonald, who died in September 2021.
"This photo is so surreal to me," Rizzo, who attended Gottfried's funeral, wrote. "And God bless Jeff for always making people laugh even in the saddest times. Bob loved all the people at this table so damn much. RIP, sweet Gilbert. I had a long conversation with him in [January] when he called me with condolences, and I reminded him how much Bob adored him. He was kind and sweet."
Gottfried and Saget were friends, and Gottfried shared several heartbreaking posts on Instagram after Saget's death. "Still in shock. I just spoke with Bob a few days ago," Gottfried wrote on Jan. 9. "We stayed on the phone, as usual, making each other laugh. RIP to friend, comedian & fellow Aristocrat Bob Saget."
After Louie Anderson died on Jan. 21 at 68, Gottfried shared a photo of himself with Saget and Anderson. "This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed," the Aladdin star wrote on Jan. 21.
Colin Quinn, Susie Essman, Mario Cantone, Dave Attell, and Paul Shaffer also attended Gottfried's funeral, PEOPLE reports. Whoopi Goldberg sent a gift, and Sarah Silverman plans to sit shiva with Gottfried's family.
"The shiva tonight will be a star-studded event, and the funeral was just absolutely perfect," Ross told PEOPLE. "Gilbert would have loved it. I saw so many great comics there paying their respects." Ross described the funeral as "cathartic" with a "sense of relief," adding that Gottfried was sick and tired before his death. "He had perfect timing," Ross said. "He knew it was his time to get off the stage."
Gottfried died Tuesday from "Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II," his publicist said. "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," his family shared on Gottfried's social media pages.
"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," his family continued. Gottfried is survived by his wife, Dara, and their children, Lily, 14, and Max, 12.
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