Overview
- A death certificate obtained by TMZ lists cardiogenic shock as the immediate cause of Cleto Escobedo III’s death, with vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis cited as underlying causes.
- The certificate names additional contributing conditions including sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppressed status, chronic kidney disease and pneumonia.
- Jimmy Kimmel announced two memorial fundraisers to honor Escobedo, directing gifts to UCLA Medical Center for patient support and to The Animal Foundation reflecting Escobedo’s love of rescue animals.
- Kimmel delivered an emotional on‑air tribute earlier this week and paused Jimmy Kimmel Live! for several nights while the show’s staff and family grieve.
- Escobedo, 59, was Kimmel’s childhood friend and the show’s bandleader since its 2003 debut, and he had been absent from recent broadcasts while ill, with some outlets reporting unconfirmed transplant‑related complications.