Longtime "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" costume designer Rodney Muñoz has died at the age of 60.
Jimmy Kimmel announced the news in a heartfelt Instagram post on Friday, Oct. 9, paying tribute to "our dear friend and Costume Designer for almost 30 years" with a series of photos of Muñoz and some his most extravagant looks.
"Rodney was one of the most talented people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing," the host, 58, wrote. "He was a funny, surly, hard-working man whose tough exterior hid a huge and generous heart. Rodney helped many of us through difficult times. He was a devoted son, brother, and Uncle; a great baker, and a caring friend."
"No man saw me in my underpants more," Kimmel joked before concluding, "We will miss Rodney as he joins his beloved parents
in whatever comes next."
The cause and manner of death were not revealed.
Prior to "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," Muñoz worked as a costume designer for the "Late Show with David Letterman," as well as a wardrobe stylist on "Fear Factor." He also styled Kimmel when he hosted the 90th annual Oscars ceremony in 2018.
In 2010, Muñoz won a Creative Arts Emmy award for outstanding costumes for a variety, music program or a special for his designs on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' lost its bandleader last year
This marks the second death among the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" crew in less than a year. In November, Cleto Escobedo III, leader of the in-house band Cleto and the Cletones and Kimmel's childhood friend, died at 59.
"Early this morning, we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III," Kimmel wrote on his social media at the time. "To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old."
"The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true," the comedian added. "Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers."
Kimmel and Escobedo, a saxophonist, grew up together as neighbors in Las Vegas. Cleto and the Cletones – which also features Escobedo's father, Cleto Escobedo Jr. – has been on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" since it began in 2003.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Kimmel announces death of longtime costume designer Rodney Muñoz
