Jimmy Kimmel Live host Jimmy Kimmel took to Instagram to announce the tragic passing of his longtime friend and his bandleader of nearly two decades, Cleto Escobedo III, who reportedly died of cardiogenic shock. In his honour, the group, known for decades as Cleto and the Cletones, will now perform simply as the Cletones, marking the first name change in 23 years.
A personal loss for Jimmy Kimmel
Kimmel announced Escobedo’s passing in a deeply emotional Instagram post, calling him “a great friend, father, son, musician, and man.” The two had been inseparable since he was nine years old, and Kimmel noted that working together on the show was a dream they never imagined would come true.
Kimmel’s sister, Jill, shared her own tribute, posting a memorial photo and writing that she would “never forget how much I loved you… Rest well, my brother.”
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To honour his life, Kimmel stated on Instagram that he started two fundraisers: one at UCLA Medical Centre, where he received care and another at The Animal Foundation to commemorate Escobedo’s love for animals.
Jimmy Kimmel breaks down on the Live show
During the November 11 monologue, Kimmel struggled to speak through his grief, telling viewers, “Everyone here at the show we are devastated by this. It’s just not fair. He was the nicest, most humble, kind and always funny person.”
Kimmel told his audience, "We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way, but this one’s the hardest because late last night, early this morning, we lost someone very special who was much too young."
In the days following the announcement, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” paused production on November 12 and 13 to allow the team time to mourn. The show returned on November 14.
