Last Comic Standing's Ralphie May Has Died At 45

Ralphie May Unruly Netflix

Stand up comedian and Last Comic Standing Season 1 runner-up Ralphie May has died at 45. The comedian was found at a private residence in Las Vegas and it has been reported the cause of his death is cardiac arrest. According to tour dates, the comedian was to perform at Harrah's Showroom tonight in the city, and then take a three-day break ahead of another show in Nashville.

As far as the cause behind Ralphie May's passing, THR reports from May's manager that the comedian had been battling pneumonia for the past month, and had to cancel a handful of tour dates due to his health issues. While it is not explicitly known whether or not the illness is what led to cardiac arrest, there have been medical studies that indicate there is a link between the two. It's also commonly known that May has been battling obesity since his teenage years, which could also play a factor in his tragic death.

Ralphie May had led a successful career in stand up comedy, which really took off following his stint on Season 1 of Last Comic Standing. Though he didn't win the competition, May would join the show again in Season 3 in addition to various late night programs, films, shows, and comedy specials over the years. To date, May has two comedy specials on Netflix titled Imperfectly Yours and Unruly.

Ralphie May is survived by his estranged wife (who filed for divorce in 2015), Lahna Turner, as well as his two daughters, April and August. On the news of his death, tons of comedians and celebrities like Kevin Hart, Bob Saget, and Kevin Smith all took to Twitter to express their thoughts. Most of the comedians all shared the same sentiment that Ralphie May was a very good and funny person, and they would miss him dearly.

Actor Ken Jeong, in particular, posted quite a few tweets on Ralphie May, and owed some success in his career to the late comedian. Jeong shared how May helped him get into The Laugh Factory comedy clubs, which eventually led to the much larger career he leads today:

We at Cinemablend send our condolences to the family of Ralphie May, and wish them well during this difficult time.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.