Erica Ash, Scary Movie Actress and MADtv Comedian, Dead at 46

It’s a sad day in the comedy world.

Erica Ash, the comedian who starred on MADtv and Survivor’s Remorse, died on July 28 after a long battle with cancer, her publicist told The Hollywood Reporter. She was 46.

“Erica was an amazing woman and talented entertainer who touched countless lives with her sharp wit, humor and genuine zest for life,” her family shared in a statement. “Her memory will live eternally in our hearts.”

Erica’s mom Diann Ash added in a statement to TMZ that the actress “transitioned peacefully surrounded by her loved ones.”

Though Erica initially had plans to become a doctor and studied medicine at Emory University, she made a career change after realizing her passion for performance. 

“Subconsciously, I think I knew all along,” she previously told the alumni association’s Emory Wire. “My parents had other plans for me: like most parents they just wanted to see me successful and happy. In their minds it meant being a doctor or lawyer: enter Emory University.”