Legendary comedian and actor John Witherspoon passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The 77-year-old left behind his wife, Angela, and two sons, JD and Alexander.
Witherspoon’s decades of experience in the entertainment world have also left countless others bereft by his loss — including many celebrities.
Ice Cube, who played Witherspoon’s son in the “Friday” movies, shared his sadness on Twitter, saying that the world just lost a lot of laughter:
I’m devastated over the passing of John Witherspoon. Life won’t be as funny without him. pic.twitter.com/gtmiZiEppP
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 30, 2019
And Rain Pryor, civil rights activist and daughter of iconic comedian Richard Pryor, also took to Twitter to share a touching tribute to Witherspoon, writing that she hopes Witherspoon and her father are making each other laugh now:
RIP #JohnWitherspoon may you laugh with daddy. You will be missed. Rest in power
— Rain Pryor (@RainPryor) October 30, 2019
No cause of death has been released, and the family asks for privacy during this very difficult time.
“We are all in shock, please give us a minute for a moment in privacy and we will celebrate his life and his work together,” reads a release that the family shared with Deadline. “John used to say ‘I’m no big deal,’ but he was huge deal to us.”
Witherspoon certainly was a big deal to many people, thanks to his impressive catalog of work, including his role as Pops on “The Wayans Bros.” and his role as the voice of Granddad on “The Boondocks.” He also appeared on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Living Single,” and in films such as “Vampire in Brooklyn,” “The Ladies Man” and “Fakin’ Da Funk.”
Marlon Wayans, star of “The Wayans Bros.,” spent many years working with Witherspoon, and he shared on Instagram how deeply painful the passing of “Pops” is to him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4O4tmqnMun/?igshid=yhfk0mg4jjjn
Regina King, who worked with Witherspoon on “The Boondocks” and “Living Single,” also paid tribute to her dear friend on Twitter.
My dad, my grandpa, my comedic inspiration! I love you Spoons! Rest In Paradise, King pic.twitter.com/U6GsNrrKXF
— Regina King (@ReginaKing) October 30, 2019
“Saturday Night Live” star Leslie Jones followed suit with her own tweet, acknowledging the incredible depth of Witherspoon’s talent.
I’m so sad, I loved pops!! RIP to one of the greats will miss you John Witherspoon damn I’m sad pic.twitter.com/TaYWU4mSN4
— Leslie Jones
(@Lesdoggg) October 30, 2019
As stars continue to share their sorrow on social media, the hashtag #RIPPOPS is currently trending on Twitter, and fans of all ages and backgrounds are celebrating the many times that Witherspoon made them laugh on “The Wayans Bros.” and beyond.
What a beautiful legacy of joy and happiness to leave behind.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
