The Amazing Johnathan's Net Worth: How Much Was The Comedian Worth When He Died?
Standup comedian and magician The Amazing Johnathan, whose real name was John Edward Szele, died February 22 at 63 years old at his home in Las Vegas, per New York Post. Johnathan was known for performing outlandish tricks on stage that included seemingly spiking his own tongue, and dangling his own eyeball.
Penny Wiggins, a friend and fellow stage performer, was the first to announce Johnathan's death. "My heart is broken ... one of my best friends, one of the funniest humans I've ever met," Wiggins wrote in a Facebook post on February 23. Johnathan's wife, sideshow stunt artist Anastasia Synn, recalled the tender last moments with her husband. "The last thing I said to him was, 'I love you, honey, I'll be with you when you get up from your nap,'" she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The magician was diagnosed with a heart condition, cardiomyopathy in 2007, and told an audience in 2014 that he only had a year to live.
In addition to his outrageous stunts, Johnathan was infamous for his drug use, and despite the diagnosis, he continued to imbibe. "I'm not one to be told how to live," he told the Los Angeles Times in 2019. The comedian admitted to frequently performing under the influence. "My whole show was written entirely on coke," he said in 2014, per NineMSN (via TV Tonight). Despite the drugs, Johnathan never missed a show and enjoyed a lucrative career.
The Amazing Johnathan claimed he made no money from his documentary
In 2019, a doc about The Amazing Johnathan was released titled "The Amazing Johnathan Documentary." Filmmaker Ben Berman, who was a friend of the comedian, caught up with Johnathan after he stepped away from the stage in 2014, per Vox. The film toyed with the idea of the performer's pending demise. "It's been three years since I was supposed to be dead," the magician told the Los Angeles Times in 2019 when discussing the documentary. Even though Johnathan enjoyed the finished product of the movie, he had one gripe. "Ben got all the money for the [freaking] thing," he playfully told the Times.
Watching the film, which openly discussed and hinted at Johnathan's death, was a surreal experience for the veteran comedian. "You don't usually get to see a documentary about your life before you're dead," Jonathan told the Times. "It's like being at your own funeral, standing there watching people mourn for you," he added.
At the height of his career, Johnathan earned $3 million a year performing his eccentric act, per The Guardian. Even after his diagnosis, Johnathan continued to perform until he reached his physical limit. "It's not about the money anymore or touring anymore, it's about the fact that you're just not able to do it," he told We Live Entertainment in 2019. The standup comic believed his life would have been cut short, had he not discontinued performing. At the time of his death, Johnathan's net worth was estimated around $15 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).