Bernie Mac Dead

On August 9, 2008, the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported comedian Bernie Mac's death at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Mac had been hospitalized for more than a week with pneumonia.

In a brief statement, Mac's publicist, Danica Smith, confirmed that the comedian had died "from complications due to pneumonia." Bernie Mac was 50 years old.

Mac began his career on the stand-up circuit. He rose to fame as one of the stars of the stand-up film The Original Kings of Comedy in 2000. In 2001, Mac starred in his own TV sitcom, The Bernie Mac Show, on Fox. Mac also appeared in the Ocean's Eleven films and Bad Santa.

Fast Facts

1. Born: October 5, 1957¹
2. Died on August 9, 2008, of complications from pneumonia
3. Chicago Sun-Times reported Mac died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois
4. August 1, 2008: Mac was hospitalized with pneumonia²
5. Previously diagnosed with sarcoidosis³
6. Sarcoidosis had been in remission since 2005⁴
7. Spouse: Rhonda McCullough
8. Daughter: Je'Neice Childress

Confirmation of Mac's Death

On the morning of Saturday, August 9, 2008, the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported that Bernie Mac had died at a Chicago hospital. Sun-Times columnist Stella Foster said she got a call from a "close friend" of Mac's family, confirming that the popular comedian had passed away. Foster said the news brought "tears to my eyes because Bernie Mac has always been my all-time favorite entertainer and comedian."

Rumors Prior to Mac's Death

Rumors that Bernie Mac had died were persistent throughout his hospitalization. Mac's publicist, Danica Smith, issued a statement on August 4, 2008, denying that the popular comedian had passed away. Smith's statement said that Mac was "responding well to treatment and will be released soon."² A family source reportedly called Bernie Mac's condition "very, very critical" after his hospitalization.⁴

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