David A. Arnold, a stand-up comedian and creator of Nickelodeon’s hit show That Girl Lay has passed away, reports Deadline. He was 54.
The Arnold family confirmed his unexpected passing in an official statement.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother, and friend, David A. Arnold,” the statement read. “David passed away peacefully today in his home and doctors have ruled the cause of death due to natural causes. Please keep our family in prayer and respect our privacy at this time, as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss.”
Although he recently came to prominence for his hilarious social media posts, Arnold has been a comedian for over 25 years.
As a comedy writer, his TV credits include Meet The Browns, The Rickey Smiley Show, Raising Whitley, The Real Husbands of Hollywood, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Fuller House.
In 2019, he released his first Netflix special David A. Arnold: Fat Ballerina. His follow-up special, It Ain’t For The Weak, debuted on July 19, 2022 and received rave reviews.
At the time of his passing, Arnold was performing on his Pace Ya Self national standup tour. He was scheduled to perform in New Brunswick, N.J. later this month, followed by dates in Atlanta and Nashville in early October.
Close friend and fellow comedian Chris Spencer paid tribute to Arnold in a statement.
“Our closely knit comedy community mourns the loss of one of the greatest to ever do it,” Spencer said. “He was admired by his peers, respected by other veterans, and looked up to by the burgeoning comedians that he mentored. He will be deeply missed, especially by his comedy fraternity.”
He is survived by his wife Julie L. Harkness, and two children, Anna-Grace and Ashlyn.
We at EBONY extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the family and friends of David A. Arnold.
