Dara Gottfried Pays Tribute To Late Husband, Gilbert Gottfried, One Year After His Death

Recently, Dara Gottfried, comedian Gilbert Gottfried’s widow, paid tribute to her late husband one year after his passing. The actor died on April 12, 2022, at the age of 67. In an article for People Magazine, Dara fondly reflected on Gilbert’s life and their marriage, however, despite the loss, her tribute served as a touching reminder of the love and memories they shared.

“Gilbert used to talk about the comedy and tragedy masks. He’d say, ‘Comedy and tragedy are roommates. Wherever tragedy is, comedy is looking over his shoulder and sticking its tongue out at him,” she wrote. “I’ve thought about that a lot over the past year. Sometimes, I feel nauseous from the amount of grief, but we must keep living and laughing. Thank you, Gilbert, for giving us the gift of laughter and love.”

Dara Gottfried speaks about meeting her late husband

Dara revealed to People that she and the late Gibert met each other in 1997 at a Grammy Party in New York City. “I had just turned 27, and Gilbert was turning 42. We met at a Grammy party at Tavern on the Green in New York City. I was there because I worked in the music business, and he was there for the free food,” she told the publication. “I accidentally dropped food off my plate, and he picked it up and put it on his. I thought it was a bit odd, but I guess I’ve always been attracted to a bit odd. He looked incredibly sweet and a little lost. I felt sorry for him, so I was nice. He asked for my phone number and the rest was history.”

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She also added that the meeting was the beginning of their relationship. “I don’t know how to explain the uniqueness of our relationship. I was young, outgoing, and social; Gilbert was shy and introverted,” Dara told People. “We were opposites, but like two pieces of a puzzle, we fit together perfectly. For the next 10 years, we dated. He would come over to my house every night to watch TV since I actually paid for cable. We were in love.”

Dara Gottfried claimed that her late husband was afraid of commitment

Dara also disclosed that after dating the actor for some time, she discovered that he was scared of moving the relationship to the next stage. “I wanted to start a family, but he was so afraid. He thought if he got married and had kids, he wouldn’t be funny anymore,” she explained. “Gilbert used to say he was like a McDonald’s Happy Meal: “You can’t replace the French fries for onion rings.” He was who he was, and he wasn’t going to change. I told him that I would never want him to change. I embraced who he was.”

However, she stated that after giving it some thought, Gilbert decided to move forward with the relationship. “Eventually, he took the plunge and trusted me. We decided to move in together and start a family,” Dara said. “While packing, I asked Gilbert to try and get rid of some of his hotel soaps since they filled up the entire second bedroom of his apartment.”