Did Andy Kaufman die from AIDS?

Well, he seems to have a died of lung cancer, which has no relation to AIDS.

"At Thanksgiving dinner on Long Island in November 1983, several family members openly expressed worry about Kaufman's persistent coughing. He claimed that he had been coughing for nearly a month, visited his doctor, and been told that nothing was wrong. When he returned to Los Angeles, he consulted another physician, and then checked himself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for a series of medical tests. A few days later, he was diagnosed with large-cell carcinoma of the lung, typically associated with smoking."

I wouldn't be surprised if his rare lung cancer was HIV related. He died in '84 and diagnosis was a crapshoot.

ANDY KAUFMAN DEAD???!!!

I never understood his humor.

[quote]Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is well known to be associated with several cancers and respiratory complications. Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in HIV-infected individuals.

HIV can make certain cancers worse.

Tony Clifton was Patient Zero

He’s not actually dead at all. He’ll turn up any day now and we’ll all have a good laugh.

His "Mighty Mouse" routine was amusing (in small doses).

I did not know he was gay. I liked him on Taxi, but tbh, I never did enjoy anything else he did. Strange little guy.

R2 He did not have a rare lung cancer.

"Non-small cell carcinomas, like LCLC, are the most common form of lung cancer, making up 80 to 85 percent of all lung cancers".

The non small cell CAs are due to smoking. Kaufman died due to smoking. Perhaps being immunocompromised may have hastened his death , but smoking was the cause.

[quote]I did not know he was gay.

That's because he wasn't.

[quote]He’s not actually dead at all. He’ll turn up any day now and we’ll all have a good laugh

He's going to reappear with JFK Jr, who will become Trump's VP when the Orange Anus is re-installed. Andy Kaufman will be Secretary of State.

Or maybe he died of PCP.

Being within 6 feet of Tony Danza would have turned me gay, if I weren’t already.

While he wasn't a smoker he was obviously exposed to a lot of second hand smoking doing stand up in clubs and bars. Not all lung cancers are smoking related. A neighbor of mine also died of lung cancer in his mid thirties and he never smoked.

It's possible. He wouldn't be the last closeted actor to die of cancer that was secretly related to HIV.

Robert Reed died of colon cancer that was HIV related. Andy was known to frequently hire prostitutes so he could have caught it that way.

I remember reading in some biography that a friend of his wept so dramatically (MARY!) at seeing how emaciated he looked near the end that a third friend specifically walked over to say, "It's not AIDS."

No R13 - PCP is marked by acute onset of cough and fever, among other symptoms.

Kaufman had a chronic cough, that was worsening over time.

One of the ugliest and profoundly unfunny performers in the business.

R18, that reminds me of an old joke from back then:

“The bad news is I have AIDS. The good news is I’m an IV drug user.”

R8 Kaufman was only tolerable (and adorable) in "Taxi", as Latka. But as Tony Clifton, I'd have broken him. He was beyond obnoxious. If I were the director or producer, I would've gone head to head and it would've been over. How crazy would that have been? I don't know. Kaufman was obnoxious, but I can be THAT asshole. I would have pressed him JUST TO SEE how far he would go.

He was a brilliant and courageous comic who took all sorts of risks. Much of what he did was a subversive critique of American popular culture. Homosexuals should love him.

Yeah, he wasn't that physically attractive which is one reason he gets such little love on DL. I don't get gay vibes but I could see him being a little bisexual.

Oddly enough, he was great wrestling heel.

He died of lung cancer that spread to his brain. Of all cancers, lung cancer is the most likely to do that.

I never could stand him.

Worst comic & actor evah!!!

MAJOR Sanpaku eyes!!!

Is it true none of the other cast members of Taxi with the exception of Carole Kane liked him?

I think Marilu Henner went to his funeral representing pretty much everyone on the show.

I don't buy him being gay, because there are a lot of stories about him using his celebrity on Taxi to hook up with young female fans who wrote to him. He was very creepy with women. Now, was he bi, maybe.