The official cause of death for iconic actor and comedian John Witherspoon has been revealed.
Witherspoon suffered a fatal heart attack. According to his death certificate, Witherspoon had coronary artery disease and hypertension.
At the time of his death, his family released a statement to Deadline which reads, “It is with deepest sorrow that we can confirm our beloved husband and father, John Witherspoon, one of the hardest working men in show business, died today at his home in Sherman Oaks at the age of 77. He is survived by his wife Angela, and his sons JD, Alexander, and a large family. We are all in shock, please give us a minute for a moment in privacy and we will celebrate his life and his work together. John used to say ‘I’m no big deal’, but he was [a] huge deal to us.”
Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1942, Witherspoon began his career as a stand-up comedian and actor in the late 1970s on The Richard Pryor Show. He made lasting impressions with early film roles in Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle, the Wayans’ I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, House Party and The Five Heartbeats. Just recently, he appeared on the latest season of Netflix’s BoJack Horseman and Adult Swim’s Black Jesus.
Our thoughts continue to be with Witherspoon’s loved ones.
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