Comedian, Richard Jeni Died Saturday

[tiredofthisstuff]

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- Richard Jeni, a stand up comedian who played to sold-out crowds, was a regular on the "Tonight Show" and appeared in movies, died of a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, police said Sunday.

Police found the 45-year-old comedian alive but gravely injured in a West Hollywood home when they responded to a call Saturday morning from Jeni's girlfriend, Los Angeles Police Officer Norma Eisenman said.

Eisenman said the caller told police: "My boyfriend shot himself in the face."

Jeni died at a nearby hospital.

Eisenman said suicide had not been officially confirmed and the investigation was continuing.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBIT_JENI?SITE=KLIF&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[EFerrari]

1. Ohjesuschristalmightygod.

[Kahuna]

2. Oh, Hell NO!

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[fudge stripe cookays]

3. Oh damn.

I REALLY liked him. There weren't many comedians who could get away with talking about psycho girlfriends and make me laugh, but he was one of them.

[EFerrari]

7. Scares me so much. Am divorcing a stand up with suicide in the family.

White light, white light. :(

[HCE SuiGeneris]

17. Sending white light...

Please do not carry the weight of your ex's future potentialities. Take heart, knowing the many good deeds you do have great benefits. Be true to your convictions and stay positive. Nothing to be gained in envisioning scenarios that you do not have control over. Peace to you. :hug:

[EFerrari]

18. Thank you, BushDespiser12.

:hug:

[Kahuna]

16. I loved him from the first time I saw him on his HBO special, "The Boy

from NYC." It was hilarious. The last time I saw him was less than a year ago on HBO. he looked a lot better than I had seen him look in years. He was still funny too. So so sad. RIP, Richard. :cry:

[AlCzervik]

4. holy shit!! Wow thats so sad. Full dosclosure--not a fan at all but that is

really sad news.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Sad...

He used to crack me up back in the early '90s.

[Eric J in MN]

6. I liked him in "The Mask."

RIP

[madrchsod]

8. he was a funny guy....

it`s a shame he had to take his life....

[Janice325]

9. What a shame.

RIP, Mr. Jeni.
:cry:

[shadowknows69]

10. The funniest people

are those sometimes in the greatest pain. A friend of mine killed himself, the old faithful carbon monoxide method, and he could have been a comedian. Certainly the last person in the world you would have thought even capable of that much despair. The clown is sometimes truly crying on the inside.

[Richard Steele]

11. That's sad. So talented, and only 45.

[Sydnie]

12. This picture is from 2005 - he looks much older than 45 here

Perhaps he wasn't well? That might explain why someone might do what they said he did.

[EFerrari]

13. Doug had an onset of major illness and went homeless WHILE he was

headlining clubs here. It can be just about invisible. :(

[Richard Steele]

14. Entirely possible.

I'm going to refrain from speculation until more is known.

RIP, Mr. Jeni.

[EFerrari]

15. This story is freaking me out, maybe rightly or maybe wrongly.

Most of the stand ups I know are exquisitely sensitive people even though you'd never know it if you spilled a beer on them.

How terrible for his family.

[Cleita]

20. ...

:hug:

[Sydnie]

21. I agree with you

Brilliance comes with a price sometimes. I have known many comedians in my lifetime and many of them were brilliant and broken at the same time.

[Justice Is Comin]

19. He was genuinely funny and very

popular with other comedians. The outside persona apparently was hiding a very secretive other life.

Wherever he is now, they will be entertained.

[KT2000]

22. Oh no!

What a bright and funny man. RIP, Richard Jeni - you made me laugh. Thanks for that.

[NYC Liberal]

23. "The way I see life, is like we're all flying on the Hindenburg...Why fight over the window seats?"

RIP :(

[DawgHouse]

24. Oh that's very sad.

The last I saw him, I think, was his comedy special "Big Steaming Pile of Me" on HBO.