Comedian Phyllis Diller dead at 95
Phyllis Diller at the House Ear Institute Benefit on May 9, 2006 in Los Angeles.
Comedian Phyllis Diller died "peacefully in her sleep" Monday morning, her manager said. She was 95.
Diller's son, Perry, found the legendary performer "with a smile on her face," Diller's longtime manager, Milt Suchin, told CNN.
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A groundbreaking comedian known for her sharp tongue and stage persona as a wild-haired housewife, Diller had fallen recently and her health had been on the decline ever since. She had been living in hospice care at her Los Angeles home, according to TMZ.
Diller suffered a heart attack in 1999 and was later fitted with a pacemaker, USA Today reported.
Born Phyllis Ada Driver in 1917 in Lima, Ohio, Diller began her career in 1952 and rose to fame in her TV specials alongside Bob Hope in the 1960s. More recently, she lent her voice to characters in "Family Guy" and "Robot Chicken."
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"The world has lost a true trailblazer, a gracious and kind woman, beloved by all," Suchin told The Hollywood Reporter.
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