Kenny DeForest, comedian who did stand-up on late-night shows, dies at 37

The comic, who died after a bicycle accident in Brooklyn, made appearances on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" and "The Late Late Show With James Corden."

Kenny DeForest, a stand-up comedian who appeared on late-night talk shows and HBO's Crashing, died at a Brooklyn hospital on Dec. 13 following a collision between a car and an e-bike he was riding, according to an updated GofundMe page made by his friend and fellow comic Ryan Beck that was originally created to help fund DeForest's recovery.

The 37-year-old comedian was reportedly riding an e-bike on Dec. 8 when he was struck by a car near Brooklyn's Prospect Park. After being transported to Kings County Hospital, he underwent brain surgery to "remove a piece of his skull and relieve pressure from a brain bleed," per the GoFundMe page, established to help DeForest's family with medical bills.

"Kenny died on Wednesday, December 13th at Kings County Hospital surrounded by his parents, family, and friends," Beck wrote. "Kenny's final moments included some of his favorite songs, stories of his childhood, and memories of his extensive positivity and joy for life."

DeForest made stand-up appearances on Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show With James Corden, and Comedy Central's Tales From the Trip, among other shows.

On Thursday, the official Late Night page posted to X (formerly Twitter): "Kenny DeForest was a universally beloved comedian who died tragically, and much too young. His relaxed, confident delivery always stood out. As you can see from his debut late-night set on LNSM, he wasn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics, but never just to be edgy — always in service of an original angle and a great joke. It’s a shame we won’t get to see what he comes up with next."

DeForest was named one of Comedy Central's "Comics to Watch" and "Best of the New Faces" by The Village Voice at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. His first stand-up album, B.A.D. Dreams, debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in 2017, and he appeared on shows like MTV Decoded and Straight Up, Stand Up the following year. He released his second comedy album, Don't You Know Who I Am?, in August.

Other comedians and friends shared their grief and tributes to DeForest on social media after his death was announced.

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