Gilbert Gottfried‘s wife delivered a beautiful eulogy at the comedian’s funeral on Thursday, April 14. Dara Kravitz spoke at the Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York City and shared the kindest words about her late husband, who passed away at the age of 67, after a “long illness,” on April 12. “I loved his heart and soul, his jokes were dirty but his heart was so pure,” Dara said, while in tears, at the funeral, according to Page Six. “Our relationship was so special that whatever I say it’s not enough,” she added.
Dara, who works as a producer in the entertainment industry, and got married to Gilbert in 2007, also spoke about how the couple met at a Grammy Awards party in the late 1990s. “We met at a party at Tavern on the Green. I was there because I was in the music business and he was there for the free food,” she reportedly recalled. “Some food fell off my plate and Gilbert picked it up and put it on his plate. I thought it was a bit odd but I’ve always been a bit attracted to odd people. He looked incredibly sweet and a bit lost and I felt bad for him so I was nice to him and then he asked for my phone number and the rest is history.”
Dara also noted there was a “uniqueness” in her and Gilbert’s relationship. “I was young, outgoing and social. Gilbert was shy and introverted. We were opposites but like two pieces of a puzzle we fit perfectly together.” She also mentioned that the Aladdin star was “the best father” to their two children, Lily, 14, and Max, 12, and loved them “more than anything in the whole wide world.”
Gilbert passed away from Ventricular Tachycardia, brought on by Myotonic Dystrophy type II. His illness was kept private and it was never mentioned until his death. Fellow celebrities like Tiffany Haddish and Jason Alexander were shocked about the heartbreaking news and took to social media to share tributes to Gilbert.
Shortly after Gilbert’s death, his family released a touching statement about him on social media. “In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children,” the statement read. “Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor. Love, the Gottfried family.”