Here's What Officials Just Said About Bob Saget's Death
Fans are pouring in with their condolences as they grieve the sudden death of actor and comedian Bob Saget.
TMZ broke the story Sunday night that "America's Dad" was found dead in a Ritz-Carlton hotel room in Florida. The comedian was on a nationwide stand-up tour that was set to end in June 2022. Saget had performed the evening prior in Jacksonville, Florida, according to Variety. He was 65 years old.
The actor quickly grew to be everybody's dad thanks to his role as Danny Tanner on ABC's "Full House" from 1987 to 1995. The iconic family sitcom followed Saget as a single father to little girls, who raised them with the help of his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and best friend Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier). While Saget's role as Tanner was in stark contrast to his often raunchy stand-up routine, the show helped the actor become a household name. "Full House" even landed a reboot series on Netflix in 2016 titled, "Fuller House." Aside from being a television dad, Saget hosted "America's Funniest Home Videos" and was the narration voice behind CBS's "How I Met Your Mother."
Saget's death comes as a shock to all of Hollywood, who mourn the late comedian and are asking questions about the cause of Saget's sudden death.
Officials have ruled out these possible causes of Bob Saget's death
After news initially broke on social media that Bob Saget had tragically died in a hotel room in Florida, fans awaited final confirmation of the momentous loss and more details into the cause of death.
Officials confirmed the tragic news via Twitter, writing, "Earlier today, deputies were called to the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes for a call about an unresponsive man in a hotel room." The statement continued, "The man was identified as Robert Saget & pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case." The details from the Orange County Sheriff Department only leave open more questions as to what led to Saget's sudden death. Variety reports the medical examiner's office is expected to determine the cause "at a later date."
Meanwhile, comedians are sharing their love and memories of Saget via social media, with the actor's former co-star being the first of the "Full House" cast to break their silence on the death. "I am broken. I am gutted. I am in complete and utter shock," Stamos wrote. "I will never ever have another friend like him. I love you so much Bobby."
Bob Saget's family has a history of health issues
Bob Saget's death was as untimely as any other and has left the entertainment world reeling in the wake of his passing. And, while the Orange County Sheriff's Office noted "[d]etectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case," the actor had a long family history of health-related issues.
In 1994, his sister Gay died of systemic scleroderma — a tragedy Saget discussed in a 2016 piece written for TODAY. "No one should have to suffer as my sister Gay did," the actor opened, adding that, "She was 44 in 1992 when she was diagnosed with systemic scleroderma, a disease that strikes mostly women in the prime of their lives." Bob defined scleroderma as "an incurable chronic disease which means 'hard skin.'" For some, "scarring forms in the lungs and on the skin, changing a person's appearance," while for others, "the blood vessels are predominantly affected, leading to profound loss of lung function over an extended period of time."
In a poignant reflection, Bob told NIH MedlinePlus Magazine that, "It is incredibly painful to have a loved one experience a condition like this. It is a very painful disease." He revealed that, "My family is still having post-traumatic stress disorder. I don't know how my parents endured." Gay's death, however, wasn't the only tragedy that struck the Saget family.
Bob Saget's other siblings also tragically died young
In a strange twist, Bob Saget revealed that years prior to late sister Gay's scleroderma diagnosis, he was asked "to host a comedy fundraiser for a disease I knew very little about" by Sharon Monskey, "a former ice skater who had scleroderma and founded the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF)" (via NIH MedlinePlus Magazine). Following Gay's death, he would go on to advocate against the disease, eventually becoming a "proud board member" of the SRF.
However, Gay's death was just one of many grim moments in the Saget family history. "There's been a lot of death in my family," he revealed to news.com.au. Saget, who was known for his raunchy humor, stated, "My parents have lost four kids, and we dealt with death and difficulty through odd, sick humour. My dad just ended up with a strange sense of humour and I inherited it and took it to a professional level."
The Sun notes that his sister Andrea died in 1985 from a brain aneurysm at age 32. The outlet also mentions that Bob's twin brothers died at birth, though very few details are known. His dad, Benjamin, died from heart failure complications in 2007, while mom Rosalyn later died in 2014 from abdominal cancer.