Flores’ first long-form stand-up special was released on Hulu in June.
The comedian, born Kenyi Flores, died as a result of cocaine toxicity, the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner confirmed in a report. His manner of death was listed as accidental.
Additionally, Flores’ history of congestive heart failure was listed under other significant conditions that contributed to his death.
Flores died on Jan. 28 at the age of 28, his family announced the following day. “It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our friend, brother, and son Kenyi Flores,” they wrote on Instagram. “Please respect our privacy at this time, as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss.”
A Chicago native, Flores was in the middle of his Butterfly Effect Tour in January when he died in Los Angeles. His final show was his Jan. 25 performance at the Atlanta Comedy Club in Norcross, Ga. He was scheduled to perform at Desert Ridge Improv in Phoenix on Jan. 30.
Flores grew up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of the Windy City before moving to Aurora, Ill., where got into performing at the local Comedy Shrine after impressing the club’s owner. He moved to Los Angeles in 2023.
Flores filmed his first-ever long-form special in 2024 in Las Vegas as part of Hartbeat Weekend. His 30-minute set was released on Hulu in June as part of the streamer’s LOL Live stand-up series. Other comedians with specials included former Saturday Night Live star Devon Walker, Chico Bean, and Brandi Denise.
The comedian also guested on numerous podcasts, including the Netflix Is a Daily Joke podcast, The Bootleg Kev Podcast, and Todd N Tyler Radio Empire.
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In 2022, Flores organized the LatinXL comedy event at Chicago’s Laugh Factory. “We have so many words on how we feel about him and this loss that just wouldn’t fit here,” the LatinXL Instagram wrote in tribute to the comedian. “He was a brother to all of us. A dear friend. An inspiration. And frankly the best… We were so proud of Ken when he made it in his dream as a kid from Aurora.”
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