‘Last Comic Standing’ Alum Ricarlo Flanagan Passes Away at 41

Ricarlo Flanagan — an actor, rapper, and comedian who was a semifinalist on the ninth season of “Last Comic Standing” — has passed away at the age of 41.

On Tuesday, Flanagan’s agent, Stu Golfman of KMR Talent, confirmed to People that his client died over the weekend after contracting COVID-19 weeks ago.

“Ricarlo was truly one of the nicest people on the planet, a wonderful performer and we are heartbroken by the news of his passing,” Golfman said in a statement.

On Tuesday, friend Gabriela Bonilla set up a GoFundMe page aimed at raising funds to get Ricarlo “home to his family in Cleveland, Ohio, so his family can put him to rest.”

“The news of a loved one’s death is never something easy to hear, let alone if you are far away from the individual. Our dear friend has suddenly passed away and sadly was far from his family. Ricarlo Flanagan was a loving son, grandson, cousin, nephew, and friend with many amazing talents,” Gabriela wrote.

After the GoFundMe raised over $19K — surpassing its goal of $10K — Gabrielle wrote an update saying the outstanding amount will go to Ricarlo’s family.

According to People, Ricarlo began his comedy career in 2007 when he discovered a flyer on a telephone pole in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for comedy classes.

Amid a successful stand-up comedy career, Ricarlo appeared in a number of high-profile television shows including “Shameless,” “Insecure,” and “The Neighborhood.”

Additionally, Ricarlo was a rapper who performed under the stage name Father Flanagan. In 2010, he released his debut album, “Death of Davinchi,” followed by 2019’s “An Opus Inspired by Andre Martin” and 2020’s “Hope Your Proud.”

In September on Instagram, Ricarlo announced that his fourth album, “Both Sides of the Brain,” would be released the following month.

After Ricarlo’s passing went viral, a number of colleagues paid their respects on social media.

“Ricarlo Flanagan was one of the kindest people I knew. Knew, in past tense. Please take this seriously. Please get vaccinated. Please wear a mask. This isn’t about ‘freedom’. This is about not wanting to lose people,” wrote comedian and YouTube star Steve Hofstetter.

“This really sucks. One of the most sincere, supportive, and funniest humans I’ll ever know. Life isn’t fair. Tell your friends you love them,” said comedian Jeff Horste.