Comedian and Netflix Star David A. Arnold Dead at 54
David A. Arnold, the comedian, writer and actor who headlined two Netflix comedy specials, has died. Arnold passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at his home, his family confirmed. He was just three shows into his four-month national Pace Ya Self comedy tour. His cause of death was ruled "natural causes," per the family. Further details were not provided. Arnold, who also served as a writer and producer on Netflix's Fuller House reboot and created the Nickelodeon series That Girl Lay Lay, was 54.
The Arnold family confirmed the comedian's passing in a statement to the Los Angeles Times reading: "It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother and friend, David A. Arnold. David passed away peacefully today in his home and doctors have ruled the cause of death due to natural causes. Please keep our family in prayer and respect our privacy at this time as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss."
A massive presence in the Los Angeles comedy scene, Arnold got his start in the business performing at the Montreal Comedy Festival and on Jamie Foxx's Laffapalooza on Comedy Central, according to Deadline. His style of comedy often focused on family, including his wife, Julie L. Harkness, and his two daughters, Anna-Grace and Ashlyn, Arnold offering comedic takes on his relationship and fatherhood. In addition to his stage presence, Arnold had a screen presence, writing for several comedy series, including Meet The Browns (TBS), The Rickey Smiley Show (TV One), Raising Whitley (OWN), and Tyler Perry's House of Payne (TBS). He was also the creator and showrunner for the hit Nickelodeon comedy series That Girl Lay Lay.
"We are shocked and incredibly saddened by the sudden passing of our dear friend and creative partner, David A. Arnold. On behalf of everyone at Nickelodeon, we send our thoughts and condolences to his family, his friends and his fans," Nickelodeon said in a statement. "David was an immense talent and a gifted storyteller with a wide range of fans, from adults through his stand-up, to kids and families through the Nickelodeon show he created and executive produced for us, That Girl Lay Lay."
That Girl Lay Lay eventually made its way to Netflix, where it became one of the 10 most-watched shows on the platform. The streamer is also home to two of Arnold's comedy specials – David A. Arnold: Fat Ballerina, which debuted in 2019, and It Ain't For The Weak, which was released on July 19. Arnold is survived by his wife and two children.