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Comedian Kevin Barnett passes suddenly while vacationing in Mexico


UPDATED JANUARY 23, 2019 11:50 AM EST

The entertainment industry is in mourning. At just 32 years old, the actor, comedian, screenplay writer and co-creator of the series Rel, Kevin Barnett has died suddenly while vacationing in Mexico. According to Deadline, at this time the cause of death remains unknown. Kevin’s last post on social media was two and a half days ago when he took to Instagram to share a photo of himself on a sidewalk in Mexico. He wrote, “In mexico. Bought myself a sweater. Been accused of appropriation several times. In my head I just gave a lady some money so I ain’t cold. Either way. Swag heavy. Mixtape comin.”

Kevin has died at the age of 32 while vacationing in Mexico

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FOX Entertainment confirmed the unfortunate news with a statement: “Our hearts are broken, as are those of everyone at Rel, at the news of Kevin Barnett’s passing. He was an incredibly funny, wildly talented man who had so much more to do and so many more stories to tell. We send our thoughts and prayers to his friends and family during this difficult time.”

The famous comedian was a regular on MTV2’s Guy Code as well as the sketch series, Friends of the People, which is where he met his great friend, Josh Rabinowitz with whom he co-created Rel – a FOX comedy series starring Lil' Rel Howery. The duo also worked together on TV sitcoms like Broad City and The Carmichael Show.

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Kevin’s death has taken by surprise his thousands of followers as well as numerous media outlets, who have expressed their condolences. The Twitter account for the weekly podcast he co-hosted, Last Podcast Network, tweeted, “The joy he brought to our lives is the greatest gift we have ever received.”

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With his unique personality, Kevin was the kind of person who would do anything for his friends. Comedian Brook Wheelan paid homage to the late comedian on social media by sharing a photo he captioned with an anecdote. "I messaged Kevin a few years ago out of nowhere," Wheelan said. "'I want to go to Hawaii.' He is the only person I knew that would respond with: 'Let’s do it.'"