American comedy star Jerry Lewis has died of natural causes, aged 91.
The star of The Nutty Professor and The Bellboy was surrounded by his family when he passed away at his Las Vegas home.
Lewis was an entertainer whose roots stretched back to Vaudeville and who made his name with his onscreen partnership alongside Dean Martin. The duo made a string of 16 hit films in the Fifties, including Sailor Beware and The Stooge.
He returned to the screen in later life in films including The King of Comedy and Funny Bones.
Off-screen, he became known as a charity fundraiser, hosting an annual Muscular Dystrophy telethon, for which he raised millions of dollars.
In recent years, he came under fire for continuing to tell racist and misogynist jokes and he was forced to apologise for making a anti-gay slur during the 2007 telethon. He also battled an addiction to prescription drugs.
He is survived by his second wife SanDee Pitnick.
Last night, stars paid tribute to the comic, including Samuel L Jackson and Rose Marie:
It was incredible knowing & laughing with the Amazing Jerry Lewis! He'll keep'em laffin in the ever after!
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) August 20, 2017
Jerry Lewis was an angel to me. Loved him & will never forget what he did for me during one of the worst times in my life. RIP, Love Roe pic.twitter.com/0OoQV4yaae
— Rose Marie-Official (@RoseMarie4Real) August 20, 2017
