Eddie Murphy has paid tribute to his brother Charlie Murphy following his death from leaukaemia at the age of 57.
The stand-up comedian and actor had been battling the disease before he passed away in hospital in New York, his manager confirmed.
In a statement to Variety, the Murphy family aid: “Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle and friend Charlie.
“Charlie filled our family with love and laughter and there won’t be a day that does by that his presence will not be missed.
“Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and prayers. We respectfully ask for privacy during this time of great loss for all of us.”
As well as a successful standup career, Charlie co-starred on ‘Chappelle’s Show’ with Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan and appeared in ‘Are We There Yet?’, ‘The Boondocks’ and ‘Black Jesus’.
His friend Russell Simmons paid tribute to Charlie on Twitter, describing him as his “biggest comedy idol”.
Other friends and stars from the world of comedy also took to Twitter to pay tribute...
The performer’s wife, Tisha Taylor Murphy, died from cervical cancer in December 2009. He is survived by three children.
