Bob Saget has been the go-to guy for throwbacks for decades. In the ’90s, he became famous for his roles as Danny Tanner on Full House and as host of America’s Funniest Home Videos; he later moved on to stand-up comedy. Before his untimely passing on January 9, 2022, he had actually just begun a tour.
After the Orange County Sheriff’s Department verified his death, his family issued a statement.
“We are devastated to confirm that our beloved Bob passed away today,” the Saget family said. His passion for his fans, his live performances, and the way his humor brought people of all backgrounds together via laughter meant the world to us.
“Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world.”
This is what we know about the circumstances surrounding Bob Saget’s death.
Bob Saget Cause Of Death
Friends and relatives of the late comedian Bob Saget, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 65, have asked that memorial contributions in his honor be made to the Scleroderma Research Foundation. This was a cause very near and dear to his heart.
Loved tonight’s show @PV_ConcertHall in Jacksonville. Appreciative audience. Thanks again to @RealTimWilkins for opening. I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight. I’m happily addicted again to this shit. Check https://t.co/nqJyTiiezU for my dates in 2022. pic.twitter.com/pEgFuXxLd3
— bob saget (@bobsaget) January 9, 2022
After Saget’s sister Gay was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune condition a year after he began supporting the non-profit, he became an ardent advocate.
“My sister, Gay Saget, was a school teacher near Philadelphia. She was 44 when she was diagnosed with systemic scleroderma,” he told NIH Medline Plus Magazine in 2019. “She got treatment, but it was just treating her symptoms with drugs like prednisone and cortisone. She had to move to Los Angeles to live with my parents because she needed so much help. She passed away just two years later.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, scleroderma is a scarce autoimmune connective tissue and rheumatic disease that predominantly causes inflammation in the skin and can progress to inflammation in other parts of the body. Stiff, tight patches of skin occur and can spread or dissolve due to this condition.
Scleroderma can only manifest externally in its mildest forms. Scleroderma can affect the skin, but systemic scleroderma “can damage your blood vessels and internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys,” as stated by the National Institutes of Health. When scleroderma goes systemic, it has various effects on each organ.
Scar tissue in the lungs reduces lung capacity and makes it difficult to breathe. When scleroderma spreads to the kidneys, it can cause hypertension and fast renal failure. Congestive heart failure may result from scarring of cardiac tissue. If scleroderma spreads to the digestive tract, it can trigger symptoms such as heartburn, trouble swallowing, bloating, and diarrhea.
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Scleroderma has no known cure, although it can be managed with a variety of medications that alleviate its symptoms, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, blood pressure reducers, steroids for the skin, immunosuppressants for the immune system, and pain relievers. Saget’s sister was just 44 when she was diagnosed, and she passed away just two years later in 1994.
“She needed so much help,” he told NIH Medline Plus. “It is incredibly painful to have a loved one experience a condition like this. It is a very painful disease. My family is still having post-traumatic stress disorder. I don’t know how my parents endured.”
Saget was inspired to fight for increased funding for a cure after witnessing Gay’s battle with the illness. Based on Gay’s story, Saget directed the TV movie For Hope in 1996 about a young lady living with scleroderma, which served to increase public awareness of the condition.
Over more than a decade, he also served on the board of directors for the Scleroderma Research Foundation, and he hosted many of the organization’s events, including the charity dinner and stand-up comedy show known as Cool Comedy, Hot Cuisine. Over the years, they were able to generate $25 million for medical study and therapy.
On Monday, the group published an homage to Saget.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we mourn the loss of our friend and Board member, Bob Saget,” they said. “Bob was a champion for scleroderma patients everywhere dating back to 1991 when he first became involved with the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), even before his sister Gay lost her battle with the disease in 1994. Bob was a deeply caring father, husband, and colleague who was unreservedly committed to the mission of the SRF.”
In a May 2021 Instagram post, the Full House actress called it “one of my life’s missions to help find a cure for this disease.”
“There are new drugs specifically for scleroderma that are helping people,” he told NIH Medline Plus. “But we have a long way to go to get to even more effective treatments and eventually a cure.”
Saget also remarked, “My word to them is don’t give up hope because we are making incredible progress.”
Where Did Bob Saget Die?
In Orlando, Florida, Saget was discovered in a motel. “Earlier today, deputies were called to the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes for a call about an unresponsive man in a hotel room,” said the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “The man was identified as Robert Saget & pronounced deceased on scene. Detectives found no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.”
Saget was in Florida as part of a nationwide stand-up comedy tour that was scheduled to go through May. According to a tweet he wrote earlier that day, he had just played in Jacksonville the night before.
Did Bob Saget Have COVID?
It’s pretty unlikely that Saget died of COVID-19, given that he had been performing the night before he passed away. No hospitalization or other infected-related medical care was sought after his death.