Nick Nemeroff, who was once nominated for a Juno and appeared on Just for Laughs, has reportedly died suddenly in his sleep.

A statement from his Instagram reads:

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved brother Nick Nemeroff. Nick’s dedication to standup comedy was formidable, and produced amazing results. He drew acclaim in Canada and the US, becoming both a ‘comic’s comic’ and a hit with crowds who were enamoured by his unique cadence, labyrinthine deadpan, and fresh take on misdirection-driven comedy. If Nick was on a comedy show, he was guaranteed to leave with new fans. And he deserved to, because comedy was, in many ways, his life. Endlessly sweet, supportive of others, humble about his many skills and achievements, Nick lived his life doing what he loved, and that is how he will be remembered. RIP Nick. We love you.”

Nemeroff’s brother says he remembers him as “the light of our family.”

Nemeroff’s death precedes a recent report of exponential growth in “unknown cause” deaths in Canada. 

“Alberta is reporting an unprecedented increase in ill-defined and unknown causes of death in 2021,” the report says.

Adding speculation to what the cause of death for Nemeroff might be is a social media post he made in August of 2021.

Nemeroff filmed himself in a hospital bed, venting (and alleging) that his ailment was related to getting a second Pfizer vaccine. He titled his post, “I am an anti-vaxxer but only for the booster shot.” 

“I will not get the third shot. I will not. Pfizer me once, no shame. Pfizer me twice, shame on Covid. Pfizer me three times, shame on you. You want me to get a third shot — what’s next, a fifth shot? No, thank you,” he said.

His Instagram page has a feed with some of his jokes, and his website has some videos of his comedy routines, which can be viewed here.