Hollywood is in mourning today after the death of comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 67 following a “long illness.” In the wake of Gottfried’s passing, his final tweet is going viral, and what it says may surprise you. 

Gottfried’s Final Tweet

On March 28, Gottfried took to Twitter to post a tweet which ending up being his final one. It happened to be a joke about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

“Which is the worst crime? Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?” Gottfried posted alongside a photo of himself with Rock.

The tweet comes across as chilling when one realizes that Gottfried would pass away just a few days later, and that he was likely already fighting for his life at the time he posted it.

Related: Surprising Will Smith Video Surfaces After Oscars Slap Scandal – He Warns Jada ‘Don’t Use Me’

Gottfried’s Family Heartbroken

Gottfried’s family made the announcement yesterday that he had passed away. 

“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness,” they said in a statement obtained by Daily Mail. “In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children.”

“Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor,” they added. 

Gottfried’s publicist and friend Glenn Schwartz has since told People Magazine that the comedian died of a rare genetic muscle disease that led to an abnormal heartbeat.

“Beloved and iconic comedian Gilbert Gottfried passed away at 2:35 p.m. ET on April 12, 2022, from Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II,” Schwartz said. 

Gottfried Sounded Off On Oscars Slap

Gottfried had talked to The Associated Press at the end of March about Will Smith smacking Chris Rock, approaching the situation with his legendary sense of humor. He said that before the slap, he “just had to worry about wearing a mask.”

“Now I have to worry about wearing a football helmet,” Gottfried said. “If Will Smith is reading this, dear God, please don’t come to my shows.”

Smith has since been banned from the Oscars for 10 years over the slap. Rock has yet to speak publicly about the slap, saying that he won’t be doing so “until I get paid,” according to Buzzfeed. 

Related: Here’s What Will Smith Being Banned From The Oscars For A Decade Really Means For Him

Gottfried is survived by wife Dara, daughter Lily, 14, and son Max, 12. He is also survived by his sister Karen. 

Gottfried spent decades providing laughs to millions of fans, and he will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and fans during this difficult time. 

Many fellow comedians and fans are sharing their love and sympathy with is family:

https://twitter.com/BillCorbett/status/1513970619930628097

It’s been a rough year, we’ve lost so many: