TMZ reported on November 14, 2025, that a death certificate it said it obtained listed cardiogenic shock as the immediate cause of Cleto Escobedo III’s death. The report listed three underlying causes and five other contributing conditions. Kimmel’s earlier announcement and tribute did not disclose a cause.
What cause of death was reported?
According to TMZ’s account of the death certificate, the immediate cause was cardiogenic shock. The report attributed the following additional entries to the certificate:
| Certificate category | Conditions TMZ reported |
|---|---|
| Immediate cause | Cardiogenic shock |
| Underlying causes | Vasodilatory shock; disseminated intravascular coagulation; alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver |
| Other contributing conditions | Sepsis; graft versus host disease; immunosuppression; chronic kidney disease; pneumonia |
These are the categories and terms TMZ reported from the certificate. The certificate itself and medical records have not been independently reviewed here, and the available reporting does not establish a fuller clinical explanation. The listed conditions should not be treated as a verified sequence of events beyond the categories TMZ attributed to the document.
Why early coverage said the cause was unknown
Jimmy Kimmel announced Escobedo’s death on November 11, 2025, but did not give a cause. ABC News reported the announcement that day and noted no cause had been provided. On November 12, ABC News covered Kimmel’s on-air tribute and again said the cause had not yet been revealed. TMZ published its report of the certificate details on November 14, so the initial coverage and the later report reflect different points in time.
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Who was Cleto Escobedo III?
Escobedo was a professional saxophonist and the longtime leader of Cleto and the Cletones, the house band on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The Associated Press reported that he and Kimmel met as children in Las Vegas in 1977, and that Escobedo led the band after the show began in 2003. Kimmel called him a longtime friend in his announcement, writing, “Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old.” ABC News quoted that November 11 statement.
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