Comedian Charlie Murphy Dead at 57 After Battle With Leukemia
Charlie Murphy, Eddie Murphy's older brother and a staple on Chappelle's Show, has died, ET can confirm.
A manager for Murphy tells ET that the comedian died Wednesday morning at New York Presbyterian Hospital from leukemia. His death was unexpected.
Murphy was 57 years old.
PICS: Stars We've Lost In Recent Years
On Wednesday, the Murphy family sent out a statement, thanking fans for their support.
"Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle and friend Charlie," the statement reads. "Charlie filled our family with love and laughter and there won't be a day that goes by that his presence will not be missed. Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and prayers. We respectfully ask for privacy during this time of great loss for all of us."
The late comedian's last tweet was on Wednesday morning, inspiring his fans to work hard.
Murphy recently toured with Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, George Lopez and D.L. Hughley on "The Comedy Get Down" tour. Aside from co-writing some of Eddie Murphy's movies, including Norbit, he is perhaps best known for his sketches on Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show. Murphy famously recounted his days hanging out with his older brother in Hollywood, as well as the late Prince and the late Rick James.
He is survived by his two children with his late wife, Tisha Taylor Murphy, who died in 2009 from cervical cancer. He also had a child from a previous relationship.
A number of Murphy's fellow comedians have taken to social media to react to the sad news, including Kevin Hart, Mike Epps and George Lopez.