GILBERT Gottfried fans are furious with Seinfeld star Jason Alexander for announcing the later comic’s death before his family could share the news.
The Aladdin star, 67, died on Tuesday “after a long illness,” according to a statement on the matter.
On Tuesday, Jason, 62, tweeted: “Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily.
“What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me.”
His message concluded: “My best wishes and sympathy to his family.”
Fans were stunned, many seemingly in disbelief. Others, however, were angry that the actor would break the news before Gilbert’s own family.
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One user responded: “Oh no. He died.”
Another wrote: “Is this true??????”
A third noted just how narrowly Jason had beaten Gilbert’s family to the punch, writing: “Holy s**t 14 minutes before the official tweet.”
Several users linked to a tweet from the prolific voice actor’s account, which was shared moments after Jason’s memorial.
Many of those posts were shared in response to fans who took Jason’s tweet as a joke.
One such commenter tweeted: “No one else is reporting this Jason. Has this been confirmed?”
Another wrote: “Joke? Is Jason Alexander the first to report this breaking news, or publicly joking with Gilbert Gottfried?”
A few fans suggested it was “not his place” to share the news before the deceased funnyman’s family.
The actor did not respond to the backlash, nor the outpouring of love for the late star.
THE NEWS
Gilbert’s family broke the news of his death on social media.
On the film star’s personal Twitter page, they tweeted a photo of him holding his hands out and smiling.
Over the photo was a text blurb, which read: “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.”
The statement concluded: “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.”
Fans were crushed by the news, with many flocking to the Twitter replies to share tributes.
“RIP to an icon,” one wrote.
Others shared a photo of Gilbert, Bob Saget, and Louie Anderson, all of whom recently died.
Another fan wrote: “I don’t think a lot of people realized how brilliant these guys were. RIP”
A third tweeted: “I guess heaven is looking to put on a hell of a show.”
Glenn Schwartz, Gilbert’s longtime publicist, told PEOPLE in an official statement: “Beloved and iconic comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at 2:35 p.m. ET on April 12, 2022 from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.”
HIS LEGACY
Gilbert was best known for his role in the Disney classic Aladdin.
In the film, he used his iconic and over-the-top voice to bring the character Iago to life.
He also worked on the PBS series Cyberchase, and appeared in Look Who’s Talking Too, Problem Child and Beverly Hills Cop II.
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In 2017, he was the subject of a documentary film called Gilbert, which followed his life and career.
Gilbert is survived by his wife Dara and his two children: Lily, 14, and Max, 12.
