Jackie Mason Tragic Cause of Death Confirmed: Comedian Dead After 2-Week Stay in Hospital

By Alexandria Reeves

Stand-up comedian Jackie Mason died at the age of 93, his longtime friend confirmed.

Mason's longtime buddy, Raoul Felder, confirmed that the comedy star passed away in a New York City hospital. He told NPR that the veteran star suffered from multiple ailments.

Per Felder, Mason first admitted himself to the hospital two weeks ago. Throughout his stay, he suffered from different health issues, like inflammation of the lungs.

As of the writing, no reports disclosed that he died due to possible COVID-19 contraction.

Following the news about his death, Hollywood stars and his fans paid tribute to the late comedy star.

The Iron Sheik shared a photo of Mason alongside the caption, "JACKIE MASON BUBBA YOU WERE THE FUNNY MAN FOREVER I LOVE YOU FOREVER YOU ARE THE IRON SHEIK CLASS."

"Prayers and forever love for my dear friend #JackieMason. When we were together just a few weeks ago, he was as hilarious, irreverent and brilliant as ever! Truly one of a kind... who will be deeply missed. Love You So Jackie. #RIPJackieMason," Rita Cosby penned.

The massive number of heartfelt messages may not be surprising at all, as he famously made the crowd laugh with his TV appearances and one-man Broadway shows before his death.

Jackie Mason's Legacy

Before he was able to find his way toward comedy, Mason initially did not think that the track could be his career.

In 1987, he sat for an interview with "Fresh Air" host Terry Gross where he revealed that he did not know about comedians' existence at all.

"When I was funny around [the] table in the house, I thought I was the only person who knew how to be funny in this whole world," he said.

But when he grew older, he took comedy routines at summer resorts in New York. During that time, he learned and mastered the borscht-belt style of standup.

The beginning of his career was not something he could boast about. However, Mason finally tasted success for the first time in the 1960s. Since then, he became in demand on stages that he also faced bumps while trying to be the funniest man.

Mason had an ugly rift with "The Ed Sullivan Show" host Ed Sullivan. Still, he managed to rise again and added successful one-man shows under his belt, including "Much Ado About Everything" and "Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeeze" among others.