Harris Wittels, who was an executive producer and writer for Parks and Recreation, was found dead in his home on Thursday, according to TMZ. The 30-year-old comedian/writer was reportedly found lying on his couch, and was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. There was drug paraphernalia in the house, and authorities reportedly believe Wittels overdosed.
In the past, Wittels had been outspoken about his trouble with drug addiction, and he had previously been to rehab twice. "I still haven't figured it all out," he said on Pete Holmes' podcast, You Made It Weird, in Nov. 2014. "Life is still life."
But Wittels was a multi-talented force in the entertainment world. Aside from producing Parks and Rec, he had a recurring role on the show—which is ending its seven-season run next week—as a member of the Pawnee Animal Control team. He also produced and wrote for Eastbound & Down and The Sarah Silverman Program, and coined the term "humblebrag," starting the hashtag trend on Twitter and later scoring a book deal about the idea.
This is absolutely crushing, and Parks and Recreation will surely dedicate their final two episodes to Wittels.
[via TMZ]