As first announced by comedy club the Stand on Twitter today, the New York comedy community has lost one of its own with the news that Kevin Barnett has died at the age of 32. Several other outlets including Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed the news. The cause of Barnett’s death is not yet known, but he reportedly died while vacationing in Mexico, where he posted his last Instagram photo two days ago.
In addition to his work as a stand-up, Barnett served as a writer and performer on shows like Lucas Bros Moving Co., Friends of the People, The Carmichael Show, Broad City, and most recently Rel, which he also co-created and executive produced. Additionally, he co-hosted the Round Table of Gentlemen podcast and developed multiple television projects with Josh Rabinowitz, including an NBC comedy back in 2015 as well as a Comedy Central series put into development last year.
Here are just some of the tributes that have been pouring in for Barnett online today:
Update, January 25: According to E! News, an autopsy found that Barnett died due to a “Non Traumatic Hemorrhage, caused by pancreatitis.†A U.S. Department of State official released a statement confirming the news, saying, in part, “We offer our sincerest condolences to his family on their loss, and we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.†As of today, Barnett’s body is still located in Tijuana, where the autopsy was conducted.