PolitiFact: Comedian Gilbert Gottfried did not die from COVID-19 vaccine

Ciara O'Rourke,
·2 min read
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Tweet said: Gilbert Gottfried died from the COVID-19 vaccine.

PolitiFact's ruling: False

Here's why: After news broke that comedian Gilbert Gottfried had died, it didn’t take long for unfounded claims to spread on social media that his cause of death was the COVID-19 vaccine.

"The jab killed Gilbert Gottfried, according to his wife," said one tweet that followed the April 12 announcement.

But that’s not true.

Gottfried is survived by his wife, Dara, his daughter Lily, his son Max, his sister Karen and his nephew Graham, according to a statement from Gottfried’s longtime friend and publicist, Glenn Schwartz.

In the statement, Schwartz said that Gottfried had died from "recurrent ventricular tachycardia," a heart rhythm problem.

Schwartz said this was "due to myotonic dystrophy type II," an inherited muscular dystrophy that affects the muscles and other body systems, such as the heart.

Gilbert Gottfried, comedian and shrilled-voiced actor, died this week from heart problems caused by an inherited muscular dystrophy.
Gilbert Gottfried, comedian and shrilled-voiced actor, died this week from heart problems caused by an inherited muscular dystrophy.

Gottfried’s family posted a statement about his death on Gottfried’s verified Twitter account. It doesn’t mention the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness," the statement says. "In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor."

The statement was also posted on an Instagram account that appears to belong to his wife.

Last year, the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency in Illinois shared a Cameo video from Gottfried urging people to get vaccinated at the fairgrounds there.

But claims he died from the COVID-19 vaccine are False.

Sources

  • Tweet, April 12, 2022

  • Dara Gottfried Instagram post, April 12, 2022

  • KSDK, St. Clair County taps one of Hollywood’s most distinctive voices to spread vaccine message, May 4, 2021

  • Gottfried Family statement, April 12, 2022

  • Associated Press, Gilbert Gottfried, actor and comic’s comic, dies at 67, April 12, 2022

  • Mayo Clinic, Ventricular tachycardia, visited April 12, 2022

  • Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, Myotonic dystrophy type 2, visited April 12, 2022

  • Statement from publicist Glenn Schwartz, April 12, 2022

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: PolitiFact: Gilbert Gottfried did not die from COVID-19 vaccine