How Did Harris Wittels Die? Drug Overdose Might Have Caused ‘Parks And Recreation’ Producer's Death
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Thursday was a sad day for the comedy world. Harris Wittels, the executive producer of NBC's “Parks and Recreation,” was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Thursday after police received a call about a possible overdose, USA Today reported. He was 30.
Wittels had struggled with substance abuse and had been to rehab twice, TMZ reported. His death due to a possible overdose would come as a shock to family and friends as he had recently spoken about being clean and sober. Before his untimely death, he did a stand-up comedy show at “The Meltdown” in Los Angeles.
Rumors that he might have overdosed surfaced after authorities found Wittels lying on a couch in a house filled with drug paraphernalia, TMZ reported. His body did not show any signs of harm. Wittels was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. EST.
Aside from “Parks and Recreation,” Wittels also worked on “The Sarah Silverman Show” and “Eastbound and Down.” In 2012, he wrote a book called “Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty,” which is a term he came up with.
On his verified Twitter account, Wittels wrote the following: “i love chillin, hangin out, havin fun and just f----n chillin.” His last tweet was on Wednesday. A few days earlier, he had sent out a few jokes to his 86,500 followers.
Drake's new album is replacing Jon Stewart.
— Harris Wittels (@twittels) February 14, 2015
Lookin for a girl who hates to laugh.
— Harris Wittels (@twittels) February 14, 2015
His friends and colleagues mourned his death on social media.
He was my baby. I just keep thinking of superman flying backwards around the earth. I wish I could do that. I'm so mad at you Harris
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) February 20, 2015
You should know that Harris was brilliant beyond compare. That his imagination was without limit. That he loved comedy more than anything.
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) February 20, 2015
Such heartbreaking news about Harris Wittels. A really funny guy.
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) February 20, 2015
So sad to hear of the passing of Harris Wittels. Such a talent. Such a loss. #HarrisWittels
— Kevin Nealon (@kevin_nealon) February 20, 2015
Harris Wittels was an incredibly funny person who has left us way too soon. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/XtLjCw3BLs
— Funny Or Die (@funnyordie) February 20, 2015
Don't know what to say. Harris Wittels was a fantastic writer I had the pleasure to work with at Parks and Rec. So so sad. RIP Harris.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) February 20, 2015
Harris Wittels wrote my first episode of Eastbound and Down and was a hilarious and fun guy to hang out with. I'm very sad today
— Ike Barinholtz (@ikebarinholtz) February 20, 2015
The NBC hit “Parks and Recreation” is in its final season. The final episode of the series, which stars Amy Poehler, is set to air Tuesday.
Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella
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