A Missouri man who dedicated his life to making people laugh died Wednesday, days after getting hit by a car. Kenny DeForest, a 37-year-old New York-based comic was hit by a vehicle near his Brooklyn home on Friday. A friend, organizing a GoFundMe on behalf of the family wrote that DeForest was “in an e-bike accident.”
He had undergone neurological surgery at Kings County Hospital, a local hospital to “remove a piece of his skull and relieve pressure from a brain bleed.” DeForest died as a result of his injuries. The stand-up comedian spent his days after the accident with the people who loved him most, including his parents, family, and friends.
“Kenny’s final moments included some of his favorite songs, stories of his childhood, and memories of his extensive positivity and joy for life,” the post reads. Ryan Beck, the organizer wrote that his friend’s legacy would live on.
“Kenny’s impactful life will continue through the gift of organ donation. Even in death, he will continue to make meaningful improvements in the lives of others.”
The funds raised through GoFundMe, about $177,372 as of Thursday, will go towards helping the DeForest family cover the cost of his medical expenses.
Let us tell you a little bit more about Kenny DeForest, once named one of Brooklyn’s 50 Funniest People.
Kenny DeForest was a comic, writer, actor, and musician. He is most known for his appearances on Comedy Central, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Late Show with James Corden, HBO’s “Crashing,” and TruTV’s “Friends of the People.”
His career began to hit its stride in 2015 when he was named one of Comedy Central’s “Funniest People to Watch.”
DeForest grew up in Springfield, Missouri dreaming of becoming a professional basketball player. He attended Kickapoo High School and later Drury University in his hometown, where he played ball. DeForest called comedy a “second dream,” joking in his August comedy special that he was only able to make a career as a comic because playing in the NBA didn’t pan out.
“Seriously, it’s not lost on me what a privilege it is to chase my second preferred profession. You know? Not everybody gets to do that.”
Funny enough, he knew he wanted to become a comedian at one of his basketball games. He was a senior in high school then. DeForest was tasked with guarding Tyler Hansbrough, a future NBA player. He tells the audience that he may technically have lost that day, but thinks “we all won.”
“Hansbrough got a full-ride scholarship to North Carolina. I got this story. Which one’s better, you know?”
DeForest says there was a specific moment in that game when he became a comedian, saying he threw the ball to Hansbrough knowing that he was about to dunk on him from experience.
“I’m not letting this happen again. Six times is simply too many. He took a dribble to the middle, he was about to go and I just wrapped him up. I just wrapped him up, grabbing my wrist,” he said.
Hansbrough got through him and made it so they were both dunking, both of them leaving the ground. He had a moment of clarity after the ball hit the rim, his head, and finally the stands.
“Oh, I see. I should be a comedian. I should write this down and make it funny, so it doesn’t manifest as trauma. And here I am,” he says.
In other news – Drake and Camila Cabello spark dating rumors
On December 13, the celebrity news account Pop Crave sparked dating rumors by sharing footage of the 37-year-old “IDGAF” rapper hanging out with the 26-year-old “Señorita” singer at Noah’s Ark Beach Club in Turks and Caicos, as well as a photo of the pair on jet skis. More footage and pics were later shared on other accounts.
As one fan replied to the post on X.com, “Camila Cabello and Drake hanging out on a random Wednesday in the Bahamas was NOT on my bingo card of ‘23.” While Turks and Caicos are not a part of the Bahamas, we see what they mean. Read More
