King passed away at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Saturday morning, his production company, Ora Media, said in a statement, extending condolences to his family. Earlier this month, after contracting Covid-19, he was reportedly admitted to the hospital in a serious condition.
The legendary host struggled with ailing health recently. His previous bout with hospitals forced him to spend his 87th birthday, which fell on November 19, in a ward. He thanked fans and well-wishers “for all the kind birthday messages” on Twitter that day.
The renowned conversationalist and household name had been suffering from heart disease for decades and even penned two books describing life with the condition. In November 2019, he suffered a near-fatal stroke and later announced he’d spent “a couple weeks” in a coma.
This is the official RT statement regarding King’s death:
“Today the world lost a legend and RT lost a dear colleague and friend. Larry King was a staple on TV screens for decades, shaping the face of news and current affairs for millions, and inspiring generations of journalists. He hosted two landmark shows on RT, PoliticKing and Larry King Now, and we proudly worked with him since 2013. Countless famous faces, world leaders and loyal viewers will feel his absence from the airwaves deeply.”
Illustrious career
Starting in Florida as a local journalist and interviewer back in the 1950s, King first came to national prominence as the host of The Larry King Show – a nationwide all-night call-in radio show in 1978.
He later hosted the internationally-known Larry King Live show on CNN for 25 years between 1985 and 2010, interviewing a wide range of personalities, from movie stars to prominent politicians, discussing everything from their personal lives to breaking news stories.