Comedian Charlie Murphy dies at 57

(Image credit: HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images)

published 12 April 2017

Comedian Charlie Murphy died of leukemia Wednesday morning, TMZ reports. He was 57. The older brother of Eddie Murphy, Charlie co-wrote films including Norbit and Vampire in Brooklyn and starred on Are We There Yet?, The Boondocks, and Black Jesus. He is perhaps best known for his role as a co-star on Dave Chappelle's sketch series, Chappelle's Show.

TMZ reports that Murphy had been undergoing chemotherapy and that family members are "absolutely shocked because they thought he was getting better." Murphy's wife, Tisha Taylor Murphy, died from cervical cancer in 2009. They had two children together, and Murphy had a third child from an earlier relationship.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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