Bernie Mac
Gossip

Sad news out of Hollywood this morning: Bernie Mac died. He was 50.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago-area hospital," his representative said in a statement. "No other details are available at this time. We ask that his family's privacy continues to be respected."

Mac was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia on August 1, but was expected to make a full recovery after a few weeks of treatment

The actor - who appeared alongside Brad Pitt and George Clooney in the Ocean's Eleven franchise - also battled sarcoidosis, a lung disease, for two decades. In 2005, he announced that it'd gone in to remission.

Comedian Bernie Mac is in "very, very critical" condition at a Chicago hospital but is still fighting, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The revelation came after the comic's publicist told the media Saturday afternoon that she had received multiple calls from news outlets regarding the "absolutely untrue" rumors that Bernie Mac is dead.

"It is a very horrible rumor," publicist Danica Smith said. "It is absolutely untrue. Nothing has changed from yesterday."

The 50-year-old Chicago resident's hospitalization was reported Friday. Bernie was admitted for pneumonia but was responding well to treatment, and word was that he should be released soon. Here's hoping that takes place.

His publicist said the pneumonia is unrelated to Bernie Mac's sarcoidosis, a chronic disease that can inflame tissue, particularly in the lungs.

Mac's sarcoidosis has been in remission since 2005. His wife, Rhonda McCullough, has been with him at the hospital. Get well, Bernie.