It is with a heavy heart that we report the death of Tommy Ford. 

Ford was 52 years old. 

Ford was propelled to stardom when he appeared on the Fox comedy series, Martin. He starred in all five seasons of the sitcom.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of our beloved Son, father, brother, husband, and friend Tommy Mykhal Ford,” Ford’s family said in a statement obtained by People Magazine.

“On behalf of the family, we would like to thank everyone for their love, support and prayers. Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.

“Please respect the privacy of the Ford family during our time of grief.”

According to TMZ, the veteran actor had been hospitalized and on life support after suffering a ruptured aneurysm in his abdomen.

The exact cause of death is unknown at this time, but it was related to this unfortunate medical incident.

Ford portrayed Tommy Strawn on Martin, which ran from 1992 to 1997.

He remained close to most of his co-stars over the years, most notably Tichina Arnold.

People reports that she “dropped everything” to be with him in his final days, writing:

“She just dropped everything to fly out there. She was supposed to be on a carpet, but this is way more important. She’s not the only one, the entire Martin cast is getting together to be by his side.”

Just hours before Ford passed, Martin Lawrence shared the following photo and penned the following caption to it:

“Prayers up for my brother @BigTommyFord and his family.”

Bill Bellamy also shared his condolences on social media after learning about his Ford’s death.

He wrote:

“Today I received some sad news that I have lost my brother and cast member #tommyford .We bonded over 5 seasons of #whosgotjokes a show that highlighted so many of the next generation comedians.

“I just want the fans to pray for all of our families.”

You may also remember Ford from any or all of the following movies and television shows:

Harlem Nights (1989), Across the Tracks (1990), The Parkers, Love Ain’t Suppose to Hurt: The Wedding, New York Undercover (1998-1999), Who’s Got Jokes (2006-2008) and Let’s Stay Together (2011).

He is survived by his wife, Gina.

We send our thoughts and prayers to the family members, friends and loved ones of Tommy Ford.

Source: celebweddings