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UPDATE with additional information and clarifications: Kenny DeForest, a popular stand-up comedian who appeared on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” HBO's “Crashing” and Comedy Central's “Tales From the Trip,” died on Wednesday at a Brooklyn hospital, just days after what is now believed to have been a single-vehicle accident involving an e-bike on Dec. 8. He was 37 years old.
Family and friends initially assumed the accident was due to a collision between DeForest's bike and a car, but after consulting an emergency medical services report and speaking with a nearby border guard, the comedian's friends now suspect that DeForest was riding an e-bike and Rogers had an accident in some way
Intersection of Avenue and Sterling Place near Brooklyn's Prospect Park.
An EMS report was filed, but the NYPD was apparently not called to the scene.
In a statement to Deadline, DeForest's friend and fellow comedian Ryan Beck said, “We received additional information from an EMS report today. Kenny was riding an e-bike and fell. I spoke to border guards on site today and am still looking for more information. That's why there is no police report
As was initially assumed, it was not a hit-and-run.”
Beck had announced his friend's death on a GoFundMe page set up for DeForest's family to help with medical bills following the accident. According to Beck, DeForest had undergone neurological surgery to remove a piece of his skull and relieve pressure from a brain hemorrhage.
“Kenny died on Wednesday, December 13th at Kings County Hospital surrounded by his parents, family and friends,” Beck wrote. “Kenny’s final moments included some of his favorite songs, stories from his childhood and memories of his great positivity and joy for life.”
“He was a great person and comedian,” Beck told Deadline. “All of us in the New York comedy scene are truly devastated.”
Yesterday, the Late Night with Seth Meyers social media page posted: “Kenny DeForest was a well-loved comedian who died tragically and far too young.” His relaxed, confident demeanor always stood out. As you can see from his debut late night set on LNSM, he wasn't afraid to tackle controversial topics, but he was never just nervous – always in service of an original perspective and a great joke. It’s a shame we won’t get to see what he comes up with next.”
“Kenny DeForest was one of the funniest and most popular comics any of us knew,” wrote comic and Adam Ruins Everything host Adam Conover on Instagram. “A tragedy. Watch his special on YouTube. It came out three months ago. It's beautiful.”
Kenny DeForest – Don't You Know Who I Am?, his comedy special filmed at The Gutter in Brooklyn and released in August, is available on YouTube. Check it out below.
DeForest was born on April 23, 1986 in Springfield, Missouri, where he became part of a growing stand-up comedy scene before moving to New York City. DeForest made his breakthrough in the web series Live @ The Apt in 2016 and appeared on NBC's Late Night With Seth Meyers the following year.
In 2018, he appeared on MTV Decoded and the following year on CBS' The Late Late Show with James Corden. Other credits include an episode of the television series Straight Up, Just For Laugh's Stand Up in 2019 and Comedy Central's Tales From The Trip in the same year.
A well-known figure in the New York stand-up scene, DeForest released his debut album BAD Dreams in 2017 and was invited to perform at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal in 2018. His comedy style has been described as wry and gentle, with an “ever-evolving, jaded, optimistic view of what it means to be alive on this planet at this moment…”
DeForest recently completed a study from November 30th to December 30th. 3 shows at Funny Bone in St. Charles, Missouri. Last night the comedy club posted a tribute to him on Instagram: “@kennydeforest, you were one of the funniest and kindest people on the planet and we are all so grateful for the time we spent with you and will miss you very much.” !”
The GoFundMe page states that DeForest's organs will be donated: “Even in death, he will continue to make meaningful improvements in the lives of others.”
Information on survivors was not immediately available.
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We were deeply saddened to hear of the untimely death of the brilliant, incredibly funny and kind Kenny DeForest. We were fortunate to have Kenny at Symphony Space for several Uptown Showdowns over the years. We will miss him. pic.twitter.com/TOEaR8yKVO
— Symphony Space (@SymphonySpace) December 14, 2023
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Kenny DeForest was a well-loved comedian who died tragically and far too young. His relaxed, confident manner always stood out. As you can see from his debut late night set on LNSM, he wasn't afraid to address controversial topics, but he was never afraid to just be edgy – always in…
— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) December 14, 2023
