We now know what happened to Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime best friend…
As we previously reported, the late-night talk show host lost his longtime Jimmy Kimmel Live! bandleader and pal Cleto Escobedo III, whom he has known for 47 years, on Tuesday. He was only 59 years old. That same day, Jimmy broke down in tears while delivering an emotional monologue to honor the musician, in which he recalled all their fond memories together. He said:
“Cleto was the leader growing up. I was the sidekick; he was the star. Cleto played saxophone; I played clarinet. That’s kind of all you need to know about us.”
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Watch the tribute (below) if you haven’t seen it yet:
Oof…
Now, Cleto’s cause of death has been revealed. According to his death certificate, which TMZ obtained on Friday, the saxophone player died from cardiogenic shock. Per the Mayo Clinic, cardiogenic shock is a life-threatening condition that “happens when the heart suddenly can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.”
Vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver are also listed as the underlying causes. The outlet noted that it lists sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppression, chronic kidney disease, and pneumonia as contributing factors as well.
How sad. Our hearts continued to go out to Jimmy and Cleto’s loved ones during this difficult time. Rest in peace.
[Image via ABC/YouTube, MEGA/WENN]
