Larry King Dies After COVID-19 Diagnosis

A broadcasting legend and veteran TV personality has died.

Source: Greg Doherty / Getty

Larry King passed away today at age 87. The news comes from a statement shared to the television personality’s personal Twitter account.

“With profound sadness, Ora Media announces the death of our co-founder, host, and friend Larry King, who passed away this morning at age 87 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“For 63 years an across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interview, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster. Additionally, while it was his name appearing in the shows’ titles, Larry always viewed his interview subjects as the true stars of his programs, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience. Whether he was interviewing a U.S. president, foreign leader, celebrity, scandal-ridden personage, or an everyman, Larry liked to ask short, direct, and uncomplicated questions. He believed concise questions usually provided the best answers, and he was not wrong in that belief.”

“Larry’s interview form his 25- year run on CNN’s ‘Larry King Live,’ and his Ora Media programs ‘Larry King Now,’ and ‘Politicking with Larry King’ are consistently referenced by media outlets around the world and remain part of the historical record of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

“Ora Media sends our condolences to his surviving children Larry, Jr., Chance, Cannon and the entire King family.”

In recent weeks Larry was hospitalized with COVID-19 and in an intensive care unit. An exact cause of death has not been released.

Prior to his passing, Larry suffered several health issues but always bounced back. In 2019 the talk show host had his third heart attack and went into cardiac arrest. Doctors performed an angioplasty and opened up an artery that had collapsed and inserted several stents in his heart. King recovered and went home.

He also has endured heart disease, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and a near-fatal stroke in 2019 that left in him a coma for weeks.

R.I.P Larry King.