Comedian Teddy Ray dead after apparent drowning in Rancho Mirage
Fans and colleagues were remembering comedian and actor Teddy Ray, who has died at a home in Rancho Mirage at age 32, according to the Riverside County coroner's office.
Ray, whose legal name was Theadore Brown, died Friday in the 40 block of Via Santo Tomas, the coroner's office reported.
A spokesperson with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department confirmed the comedian died as a result of an apparent drowning. He was found dead in a swimming pool by a maintenance worker shortly before 10:00 a.m.
There were no signs of foul play. An official cause of death has not been determined or confirmed as of Monday, the Sheriff's Dept. confirmed.
"Rest in Power to our longtime creative collaborator and friend, Teddy Ray," HooraeMedia, actress-comedian Issa Rae's media company tweeted. "Grateful for the energy you always brought to our projects and sets!"
Rest in Power to our longtime creative collaborator and friend, Teddy Ray. Grateful for the energy you always brought to our projects and sets! pic.twitter.com/xPPRoDquZu
— HOORAE (@HOORAEMedia) August 12, 2022
"Abbott Elementary'' star Quinta Brunson shared a picture of herself with Ray on Instagram and the message "Rest well, Teddy. The kindest and funniest. We're all going to miss you far too much."
Ray, a stand-up comedian who was born in Gardena, got his start appearing at comedy clubs in Los Angeles, and elsewhere.
He made his on-screen debut on BET's "ComicView" and was later featured on the eighth season of MTV's "Wild N' Out," the HBO Max series "PAUSE with Sam Jay" and Comedy Central's "How to Be Broke."
Ray was also known for his social media memes and viral videos.
He often appeared in sketches for All Def Digital, a multi-platform media comedy platform founded by Russell Simmons. The company tweeted that it was "heartbroken" about the news of Ray's death. "We will miss him every day but we know he will have Heaven laughing."
"Teddy Ray was a hilarious and beloved performer," Comedy Central's Twitter account posted Friday. "He'll be deeply missed by the entire comedy community."
Teddy Ray was a hilarious and beloved performer. He’ll be deeply missed by the entire comedy community. pic.twitter.com/45xrqIL4QM
— comedycentral (@ComedyCentral) August 13, 2022
In Ray's final Instagram post two weeks ago, marking his 32nd birthday, he included a photo of himself sitting shirtless in the driver's of a gold sedan.
"Pulling up on 32 like ... Lord, I thank you for another lap around this hot ... sun."
