Celebrities paid their final respects to late comedian and actor John Witherspoon on Tuesday.
Many stars who worked with and knew Witherspoon—like Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, David Letterman, Cedric the Entertainer and Lil Rel Howery—were all in attendance at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles to celebrate the acclaimed actor’s life.
The comedian, who made magic in films like the Friday franchise and Boomerang, passed away last week in Los Angeles at the age of 77.
The open-casket celebration started off with remarks from Letterman, who has known Witherspoon for decades since they honed their comedic chops together, along with Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and Jay Leno, at The Comedy Store in Hollywood.
Others such as Ice Cube, Shawn Wayans, Bill Bellamy and George Wallace also shared a few words about his life.
“Laughter is the medicine for our mind, body and soul. It helps us get through this crazy world, and God bless the ones who make us laugh,” Ice Cube said. “There was nothing you could do to harness John’s funny. It was gonna come through, no matter what you gave him. That was his true gift and we all loved John because of that. We all knew we were in the presence of greatness.”
Other celebrities who paid their respects include Robert Townsend, The Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, alongside Witherspoon’s family.
Rest in power.