Actor and comedian Bob Saget, who died Sunday at the age of 65, was discovered in bed in his Orlando hotel room after his family said they had not heard from him, according to an incident report released Monday by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The chief medical examiner said an autopsy was conducted Monday, but the cause of death has not yet been determined.
The sheriff’s office arrived at his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes just after 4 p.m. Sunday and found Saget lying on his back in bed. “His left arm was across his chest while his right arm was resting on the bed. No signs of trauma were seen,” the incident report said.
Saget was declared dead at 4:18 p.m. There were no immediate signs of foul play or drug use, the report said. The medical examiner said it may take 10 to 12 weeks for additional studies and investigation to determine the cause and manner of death.
The sheriff’s office said the room appeared orderly, with Saget’s belongings on his nightstand and the television stand and in the closet and bathroom.
Earlier, a member of hotel’s security team had gone to Saget’s room after his family said they had not heard from him, according to the report. Saget had been due to check out of his room that day. The security officer told the sheriff’s office that when he entered the room the lights were off. He went to the bedroom, where he said he found Saget in bed, “cold to the touch,” and called 911.
As authorities processed the scene, hotel management contacted Saget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo, to inform her of his death, the report said.
Saget had performed in Ponte Vedra Beach the night before, posting about the experience on his social media accounts early Sunday morning.
“I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight,” he tweeted. “I’m happily addicted again to this s***.”
He was just beginning a standup comedy tour, with his next show scheduled for January 28 in West Palm Beach.
In the hours after his death was announced, his fans, friends and former co-stars expressed their devastation. Several of Saget’s “Full House” co-stars posted the same photo and statement to their Instagram pages on Monday afternoon.
“Thirty-five years ago, we came together as a TV family, but we became a real family. And now we grieve as a family. Bob made us laugh until we cried. Now our tears flow in sadness, but also with gratitude for all the beautiful memories of our sweet, kind, hilarious, cherished Bob. He was a brother to us guys, a father to us girls and a friend to all of us. Bob, we love you dearly. We ask in Bob’s honor, hug the people you love. No one gave better hugs than Bob. ~ John, Dave, Candace, Jodie, Lori, Andrea, Scott, Jeff, Ashley and Mary-Kate”
Saget had a career that spanned decades. In 1987, he landed a starring role in the ABC sitcom “Full House,” which ran for eight seasons. He got his big break while working as the warm-up comic for the TV show “Bosom Buddies” thanks to producer Jeff Franklin, who would go on to create “Full House.” He also hosted “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” provided the narration for all nine seasons of CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” and occasionally appeared on Netflix’s “Full House” reboot “Fuller House.”
In addition to his acting work, Saget was also a successful comedian. His standup act was filled with coarse language and sexual humor, creating a stark contrast with the family-friendly image he projected on the sitcom that made him a household name.
“People were surprised. I was playing in Vancouver one night in a casino up there, and there was a lady that just started to walk,” he said in 2017. “But for the most part I always adapt in a chameleon-like way to the audience. I don’t purposely go, ‘I’m gonna be crass here,’ if they’re not enjoying it, you know. I want to get laughs.”
Jordan Freiman contributed reporting.
