Reggie McFadden, the comedian whose sharp wit lit up HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and brought chaos to the final season of In Living Color, has died in Tanzania at 57. The news emerged Monday, confirmed by his sister, Bernice L. McFadden, author of The Book of Harlan, in an interview with the LA Times. The US State Department reached out to the family over the weekend to inform them of his passing, but no details about the cause or circumstances have been shared. McFadden had lived in Tanzania for roughly 18 years, a period during which he became largely invisible to the public and distant from his family. He was estranged from them for years, according to Bernice, who said the last time they saw him was in 2007. Their mother is reportedly struggling with the loss, as are his children and other siblings. “I was very sad to learn that my brother had passed away so far away from home,” she told the paper. “Our mother is taking it particularly hard.” She added that Reggie had seemed to believe the world had forgotten him — “so it’s heartwarming to see the outpouring of love, sympathy and remembrances. I’m sure he is smiling from the otherside.” Born in Brooklyn on November 30, 1968, McFadden described his early life as one of restless curiosity. In a 1996 interview with the LA Times, he recalled wandering into abandoned buildings, riding trains to their last stops, and striking up conversations with strangers. “When you do that, you learn things,” he said. That instinct carried him into comedy. His stand-up career took off after a standout performance on Def Comedy Jam in 1993, where reviewer David Kronke called it “the evening’s funniest, edgiest set.” From there, he moved to Los Angeles and built a steady presence across television: roles on Martin, Moesha, Hanging With Mr. Cooper, Coach, Getting Personal, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also appeared in the Adam Sandler film Little Nicky. His IMDb profile shows appearances ending around 2005. After that, he vanished from screens, and from public view. Until now. He once said he’d auditioned for The Late Show With David Letterman 12 times before finally appearing in 1998 and again in 2003. That hunger, that need to be seen, never left. It just went quiet. Now, it’s back. Not through a comeback. But through a death. And the world is remembering a man who walked away, not because he failed, but because he chose to disappear. What did he do in those 18 years? Who did he talk to? Who laughed with him? We don’t know. Only that he’s gone. And we’re only just learning.