Beloved TV personality Ed McMahon, who became a legend as Johnny Carson’s sidekick from 1962 to 1992, has passed on at the age of 86. He is survived by his wife of 17 years, Pam Hurn, three daughters, and two sons. McMahon suffered from bone cancer and was facing financial problems in his later years. His illness was said to have been worsened by mold in his home:

Ed McMahon, best known for his role as Johnny Carson’s No. 2 on the “Tonight Show,” died at a hospital in Los Angeles this morning, his agent said.

The 86-year-old TV personality and former late-night sidekick died this morning surrounded by his family at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in California, his agent Howard Bragman said.

McMahon had a “multiple of health problems the last few months,” Bragman said, though he declined to name the entertainer’s cause of death.

A person close to the TV personality told the Associated Press that he had bone cancer, among other ailments, and had been hospitalized for several weeks.

Earlier this year, McMahon had been hospitalized in intensive care with pneumonia and other illnesses.
The famous TV pitchman — who is responsible for bringing the infamous “Heeeere’s Johnny!” line into the pop culture lexicon — has promoted a number of products through the years such as Budweiser, American Family Publishers’ sweepstakes and, most recently, Cash4Gold.com in a self-deprecating Super Bowl commercial.
McMahon also hosted the popular syndicated talent competition “Star Search.”

But the Hollywood legend fell on hard times recently and became embroiled in financial trouble.
His home was reportedly to be placed on the auction block later this month after he fell behind $644,000 on his $4.8 million mortgage.

He recently settled lawsuits against a hospital and doctors over difficulties stemming from the broken neck he suffered in fall of 2007. In 2002, he sued various insurance companies and contractors over mold in his house and collected a $7 million settlement.

[From NBC Los Angeles]

NBC LA has a phone interview with McMahon’s publicist. He says that McMahon “waged a very valiant battle, and lost his battle last night surrounded by his wife Pam… and people he loved…

“What I want people to remember is the man’s kindness, his dignity, his generosity. I want to remember really how he lived and how he touched so many people in this world. I really want that to be his legacy…

“I miss my friend…. He’s just one of the kindest people you’d ever want to meet.”

His publicist said he didn’t want to go into his health issues, and that he was an 86 year-old man with a lot of health problems. He also explained that it was Ed’s decision to go public with the news that he was losing his house, saying “‘I want to stand up and tell the world that I made a mistake and I spent more than I made, and I’m not alone in this situation. I want people to know that I can go through this and they can go through this with dignity and their head held high.’ That’s just typical of the type of person Ed McMahon was.”

That was very touching and well put. RIP Ed McMahon, you will be fondly remembered by so many people.

Photo credit: WENN.com

Iconic sidekick Ed McMahon, who has been hospitalized for complications from pneumonia, isn’t doing so well. McMahon, 85, is also battling bone cancer and other medical problems. His family has gathered to be at his side in an L.A. hospital, where sources report that he may not have much time left. So sad!

Ed McMahon is in bad shape in ICU with pneumonia, bone cancer, and other medical problems. There are reports Ed only has days left. Here’s a statement we just got from Ed’s publicist, Howard Bragman. Take it at face value or read between the lines.

“I’m not a medical doctor, I’m a spin doctor, so I’m not able to give a diagnosis here. But, what I can tell you is this: I’ve seen many people come up to Ed over the years and say, ‘You were a Marine.’ Ed would look them in the eye and say, ‘I AM a Marine.’ What that means for his current medical challenges is the same thing it’s meant for every challenge he’s ever faced in life. It means he’s a fighter — not a quitter. It means he’s confronting it head-on with strength, courage and dignity. I would ask that those who care about Ed say a prayer, remain hopeful and send their good wishes, because Colonel McMahon is still fighting the good fight. Ed, his family, and friends are looking forward to celebrating his 86th birthday Friday.”

[From TMZ]

Ed has been dealing with financial problems stemming from his inability to sell his home, and even appeared in some rather embarrassing TV ads. It’s sad to see what’s happened to him over the years. There was a time when he was on top of the world, between his gig as co-host of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and producer of Star Search. Hopefully his family is taking care of him now. It doesn’t sound like there’s a lot of hope for his complete recovery – but if his publicist is any indication, Ed hasn’t given up yet.

Here’s McMahon with Nancy Sinatra at the “Keeping the Promise to Our Vietnam Veterans” breakfast in Los Angeles on July 11th. Images thanks to WENN.com.

More bad news for financially strapped Ed McMahon: he’s being sued for non-payment of a debt by the company of his late friend, Merv Griffin. McMahon took out a $100k loan from Merv back in 2005, but so far he has never made a payment on it. Now that Griffin has passed away, it’s up to his company to collect the cash from McMahon- who is about to lose his home and is already being sued for $180,000 in credit card debt.

Court documents show a company founded by Merv Griffin is suing Ed McMahon for a $100,000 loan it claims has gone unpaid.

The Griffin Group Inc. claims it loaned the money to McMahon, Johnny Carson’s sidekick on the “Tonight” show, in 2005. The company filed the suit on Thursday and states that none of the loan has been repaid.

McMahon’s publicist didn’t directly address the lawsuit, instead asking, “Anybody wanna buy a nice house in The Summit?”

The quote is an allusion to McMahon’s hilltop home, which is facing foreclosure. The former pitchman also faces numerous other lawsuits filed on behalf of creditors.

Griffin, the longtime talk-show host who created “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune,” died in 2007.

[From Huffington Post]

This is evidence that Ed and his wife have been having financial problems for quite a while. But I think that if Merv Griffin were still alive, he wouldn’t be suing Ed McMahon over a hundred grand. Back in 1986, he sold his production company to Coca Cola for a cool $250 million, and while he never revealed what he was worth, it was estimated at the time of Merv’s death that he was a billionaire. So this lawsuit against a guy who is about to be put out of his house seems a little extreme. Way to kick a guy when he’s already down! What would Merv think?

Ed McMahon is shown at the Jerry Lewis MDA telethon on 8/31/08 and at the Entertainment Tonight Emmy party on 9/21/08. Credit: PRPhotos

Elderly and indebted Ed MacMahon was once Hollywood royalty. He was Johnny Carson’s sidekick for 30 years and was the producer of such hit shows as Star Search and TV Bloopers & Practical Jokes. Today, Ed is a high-end victim of the real estate crunch, and owes $644,000 in back payments on his home while being sued for racking up more than $180,000 in credit card debt. Since his days of announcing or handing out giant checks for Publisher’s Clearing House are long gone, McMahon has resorted to rapping in a new series of viral videos for the company FreeCreditReport.com. Oh, the humanity.

Ed McMahon has an unexpected new job title: rapper.

The 85-year-old former “Tonight Show” sidekick will star in two viral rap videos for FreeCreditReport.com, a financial Web site owned by credit bureau Experian. The videos feature McMahon wearing a tracksuit, being chauffeured around Los Angeles in a Cadillac Escalade golf cart and waxing lyrical about his very public financial troubles.

“I knew I could sing the blues, but I didn’t know I could rap,” McMahon said Wednesday.

The videos will appear online in October.

Charles Harris, FreeCreditReport.com’s vice president of strategic marketing, said the company sought out McMahon to star in the humorous spots after seeing him openly discuss his finances on “Larry King Live.” Harris said McMahon represents “a man who is taking charge.”

In the first video, McMahon _ who once pitched the American Family Publishing sweepstakes _ and a bodyguard are cruising through a neighborhood looking for sweepstakes winners to ask for some money back, but McMahon doesn’t actually go through with it. In the second spot, McMahon dons a new suit after undergoing a financial and emotional makeover.

“When I retired, I was famous,” McMahon raps in the video. “I had money and glory/I bought a house for 6 mill/I thought nothing could touch me/Until my credit went south, and debt started to crunch me/Next thing I know, instead of playing gin rummy, I was scrambling just to make ends meet/It wasn’t funny.”

After being joined by two scantily clad women, McMahon continues: “Got a bump from the media chumps, but that was temporary/Wife with bad credit was scary, so I got wise/I may have fallen, but I got back up/Now I’m back on the attack, like a ninja swinging nunchucks/I told the haters, ‘Go on, take a hike’/It’s my show now, and I can do what I like.”

McMahon said he spent one day in the studio recording the rap. He said he hopes his participation will inspire viewers to learn from his mistakes and become more aware about their finances.

When asked if he would consider releasing a full-length rap album, McMahon said: “Not immediately.”

[From Huffington Post]

Well, I’ll say this for the guy: at least he can keep his sense of humor. Looks like he is cashing in on what’s left of his fame to keep himself afloat financially. I do have to wonder about the line in his “rap” referring to his “wife with bad credit.” Speculation has been swirling for some time that his much younger wife, Pam, is at the root of much of McMahon’s financial woes. Apparently, Pam takes the term “retail therapy” to a whole new level.

Ed McMahon and his wife are shown at the Emmys on 9/21/08. Credit: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

I really, really dislike Donald Trump, mostly because of his dreadful show, but this story has softened my attitude. Not so much that I’ll watch his show, but I won’t scream at the television about the state of entertainment when I see it advertised, as if Donald Trump is somehow responsible for the reality television phenomenon. Trump is buying Ed McMahon’s house, which was slated for foreclosure, and lis etting him stay in it:

Mega-developer and TV personality Donald Trump has agreed to buy Ed McMahon’s Beverly Hills house for an undisclosed amount and allow McMahon to continue living in it. Details of the deal are still being ironed out.

“I don’t know the man, but I grew up watching him on TV,” Trump said in an exclusive interview with The Times.

McMahon, 85, was facing foreclosure within two weeks on his Beverly Hills home of 18 years. The aging television icon, who was Johnny Carson’s sidekick for three decades, defaulted on $4.8 million in mortgage loans with Countrywide Financial Corp. He said in interviews that he was unable to work because of a neck injury that occurred about 18 months ago.

Trump said he stepped in because helping McMahon “would be an honor.” His plan is to buy the home from the lender and lease it back to McMahon.

“When I was at the Wharton School of Business,” Trump said, “I’d watch him every night. How could this happen?”

L.A. Times

The Don is no fool. While the house was initially listed at $7million, but dropped to $4.6million, no matter what The Don pays he’ll get more than that value out of the good publicity given him. Donald previously offered to help Ed and his shopaholic wife Pamela out, but reports suggested the offer was for publicity and not genuine. While Donald is probably only doing it for publicity, help is help no matter the motive.

I also think it is an incredibly kind thing to do. As a lover of antique furniture I often go to sales where the home owner if forced to move for varying reasons, and they always seem so sad. At 85 it seems only right that Ed McMahon keeps his home, even if he does have severe debts.

Another man has had a serious role in this, who perhaps deserves more kudos than Donald Trump. Ed McMahon’s listing agent Alex Davis flew to New York this past weekend to personally appeal to Donald to help out his client. This goes above and beyond the call of duty. He obviously caught The Don at a good time – his son announced today that another little Trump will soon be joining the empire.

Ed McMahon is shown at the Simpsons Movie on 7/24/07. Credit: John Cronise/ WENN. Donald Trump is shown at the Sex and The City premiere on 5/27/08. Credit: WENN.

This story just goes to show that even if you’re rich, you can still have the same money problems as everyone else. Most of us assumed that former “Tonight Show” sidekick Ed McMahon was set for life, but when the news broke a couple of weeks ago that he was about to lose his house to foreclosure, it illustrated that the downward housing spiral was affecting people of all income levels. Now, it’s revealed that Ed is also a victim of the credit crunch- thanks to the spending habits of his wife, Pamela.

The one word that’s turning Ed McMahon from baller to beggar: Plastic.

Our sources tell us Pamela McMahon, Ed’s wife of 16 years, is literally spending him onto the street. We hear she’s completely “oblivious” to the late night legend’s cash troubles, and shops like their life depended on it. Her AmEx bill is legendary — the couple reportedly owes nearly $750K.

That’s causing an issue for Ed’s friends, who are conflicted about bailing him out. They don’t want to see their 85-year-old friend foreclosed on and homeless, but they also don’t want to encourage Pamela’s passion for Prada.

And to add insult to injury, now Donald Trump wants to exploit Ed’s sad situation for publicity. The blowhard famewhore has made a public “offer” to help the “Bloopers” star, but that’s news to Ed. Trump’s only reached out to the public — not the McMahons — as you think he might. A source close to Ed tells us the “people who are talking publicly aren’t necessarily the ones who are helping.” We hear there are others who “quietly” are trying to assist.

Ed’s rep denies Pamela’s spending is the reason for their troubles — the rep says she’s not “extravagant.”

[From TMZ]

Personally, I wouldn’t take a dime from Donald Trump. I’d sell everything I owned before accepting help from that jackass, because he’d never let you live it down. But then again, I’d also have a hard time lending money to someone with a $750,000 American Express bill. That’s almost a million bucks in purchases! What could she possibly be buying? Donald may be Ed’s only hope! If I were Ed, I would have quietly taken the AmEx and put it through a shredder years ago. He must have a hard time saying no.

Ed and Pamela McMahon are shown at the Cinema City International Film Festival on 9/29/07, thanks to PRPhotos.

Former Johnny Carson wingman, Ed McMahon, 85, is suffering from the credit crunch that is costing many Americans their homes. The elderly spokesperson is $644,000 behind on a $4.8 million loan on his Beverly Hills Mansion and risks foreclosure. What’s worse is that he’s having trouble selling the home, which has been for sale for two years and he’s asking $5.75 million for, because the paparazzi swarming Britney’s mansion in the same neighborhood are making the location less desirable for wealthy buyers.

McMahon broke his neck in a 2007 fall and underwent two corrective surgeries. He has been laid up and unable to work since. He lives in the house with his wife Pamela. The Wall St. Journal reports that he may be able to work out a settlement or arrangement with the bank so that he is not forced to move out.

The last I remember seeing McMahon he was endorsing those sweepstakes that scammed people into subscribing to magazines. That publishing company, American Family Publishers, filed for bankruptcy in 1998. McMahon currently hosts a hour long weekly radio show on the USA Network called “Lifestyles Live.” According to IMDB, he had some piecemeal voicework for children’s cartoons in 2003 and 2004 and has a bit part in an upcoming movie called Jelly.

McMahon received a $7.2 million settlement from an insurance company in a 2002 lawsuit over mold that spread throughout the home, killing his dog and making his wife ill. That detail about the home was easy to find, and may also deter potential buyers.

Ed McMahon is shown at the Simpsons Movie premiere on 7/24/07, thanks to WENN.