“Went off the deep end in the later days of his career”: Gallagher racist controversy explained in wake of comedian's death

American comedian Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr., better known as his stage name, Gallagher, has reportedly passed away at the age of 76. News of his demise was confirmed to the Rolling Stones in a statement by his former manager Craig Marquardo.

They shared that the comedian “succumbed to his ailments and passed away surrounded by family in Palm Springs, California.” The statement further read:

“He was the #1 comedian in America for 15 years, with some of that due to the popularity of his stand-up specials airing on MTV in its early days, bringing him an entirely new audience.”

It was also mentioned that Gallagher was known for his “edgy style, brilliant wordplay, and inventive props,” which included his popular watermelon smashing act. The comedian garnered immense popularity during the 1970s following his appearances on shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Despite a successful career, the comedian often made headlines due to the controversies surrounding his racist and homophobic jokes later in life. Several people took to social media to talk about it and one even said that the comedian had gone "off the DEEP end in the later days of his career."

Netizens comment (1/1) (Image via Twitter)

According to KTLA, Gallagher allegedly stormed out of the studio while recording the WTF with Marc Maron podcast after he was questioned about his controversial jokes.

Just a month before his demise, the comedian promoted his performances on Facebook and said he was “feeling great.” He also said that he wanted to work on more projects to make the world “a funnier planet.”

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A look into Gallagher’s racist controversy

Gallagher was criticized for his racist and homophobic jokes later in his life (Image via Getty Images)

Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. rose to fame following his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He gained further popularity after bagging the 1980 comedy special An Uncensored Evening and came to be known for his watermelon smashing comedy acts.

Although his popularity started declining in the 1990s, he still made significant contributions to the comedy industry. In addition to his own performances, he became part of Dave Chappelle's act when the latter spoofed him on an episode of Chappelle’s Show.

He also earned a 100th place in Comedy Central’s 2004 list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. However, in 2010, The Stranger reviewed a Gallagher show and called the comedian a “paranoid, delusional, right-wing religion maniac.”

The review featured xenophobic and racist jokes from the comedian, with many directed towards then-US president Barack Obama. Reports suggest that he once joked that people shouldn't trust a “half-black guy” while referring to Obama and made terrorist references saying, “there's a BOM in his name.”

As per the Rolling Stones, Leo Anthony also earned criticism for claiming “we’re descended from an Anglo-Saxon Viking tradition” during one of his shows.

During his 2011 appearance on Marc Maron’s podcast, the comedian defended himself, saying none of his jokes were racist or homophobic:

“It’s one area of our society is sensitive and can’t take a joke. And what am I making jokes about? I’m making jokes about people who don’t complain.”

As their conversation became heated, Gallagher reportedly stormed out of the interview. Maron re-shared the infamous podcast following the former’s death and said that this is the first a guest on his has passed away and he does not want the “episode remembered.”

Despite his controversies and health issues, including two cardiac arrests in 2012, the comedian continued to perform and tour on a regular basis. His former manager noted that he believed he held “a record for the most stand-up dates” and toured regularly until the COVID-19 pandemic.