Knight died on Thursday in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The comedian’s cause of death has not been disclosed.
“Knight’s loved ones request that their privacy be respected during this extremely difficult time,” a Knight representative told the outlet.
Knight’s career was taking off as his most recent Peacock production, “Bust Down,” debuted in March. The series was co-created, executive produced, and starred in by Knight.
He also contributed to hit shows such as Netflix’s “Big Mouth” and ABC’s “Black-ish.”
Following the tragic news of his death, his peers expressed their condolences.
On Friday, Comedy Central took to Twitter and wrote, “Jak Knight was a hilarious and sincere comedian. We will miss him terribly.”
“We are devastated by the passing of Jak Knight,” said Peacock’s “Bust Down” and Universal Television in a joint statement to the Hollywood Reporter.
“He was a brilliant comedian, visionary, and artist, and we were all fortunate to witness his brilliance. During this difficult time, our thoughts are with Jak’s family, friends, and community.”
In a tribute tweet, comedian Eddie Della Siepe called Knight a “phenom.” “An incredible talent and, more importantly, a wonderful person,” he added.
Knight credited Dave Chappelle for inspiring his career in comedy in a 2018 interview with Respect. “Those are the only reasons I do what I do,” he said at the time.
Knight went on to open for Chappelle as one of the stand-up comics who joined him on stage while on tour.
During the same interview, Knight talked about writing and voicing DeVon in the hit show “Big Mouth.”
“It’s amazing to be a writer and to be in the room with some of the most brilliant people alive, and I get to sit across the table from people like Jordan Peele and Maya Rudolph,” he said. “It’s surreal, but it’s work, work.”