Teddy Ray, Beloved Comedian, Dead at 32

Comedy has lost one of its brightest and most prominent stars. According to multiple reports, Teddy Ray has died. He was 32. His cause of death has not yet been made public. He was beloved for his wit and high-pitched voice, with the ability to joke about himself. Ray recently celebrated his birthday on July 30. His final Instagram post was a tribute to himself, captioning a picture of a woman in a car: “Pulling up on 32 like…..Lord I thank you for another lap around this hot a** sun.” He became famous with appearances on Russell Simmons’ digital comedy stream All Def Digital. Additionally, he was a cast member on MTV’s Wild ‘N Out helmed by Nick Cannon. He also hosted a podcast called The Cali Kickback with Lewis Ray.

Legends like Katt Williams and Simmons were frequent collaborators of Ray, and his content consistently went viral. He was offered his first TV special on BET within a year of beginning his career in standup. Since news of his death hit the net, Twitter users and his comedy peers are lauding him as one of the greatest of his generation.

“Teddy Ray was a hilarious and beloved performer. He’ll be deeply missed by the entire comedy community,” Comedy Central wrote in a tweet. Hoorae Media, a media production company formed by Issa Rae, also shared a tweet on his passing. “Rest in Power to our longtime creative collaborator and friend, Teddy Ray. Grateful for the energy you always brought to our projects and sets!” the tweet reads.

His death comes weeks after another Comedy Central staple, Jak Knight, died at the age of 28. According to reports, Knight’s body was found on an embankment in LA. He rose to fame as a comedy writer first before making a name for himself in standup and ultimately writing and starring in the critically acclaimed Peacock series Bust Down alongside Sam Jay, Langston Kerman, and Chris Redd. It was later revealed that he died by suicide.