The Dukes of Hazzard community is in mourning.
Rick Hurst, who played Deputy Cletus Hogg on the iconic CBS series for five seasons, died June 26 in Los Angeles, his ex-wife Candace Kaniecki confirmed to TMZ. He was 79.
Kaniecki, who Hurst was married to from 1969 until 1979, told the outlet that his passing was “unexpected” and that his cause of death remains “unclear.”
Hurst’s Dukes of Hazzard costar Ben Jones also confirmed his death with a heartfelt tribute shared by the show’s museum, Cooter Place, where he had been scheduled to appear July 3.
“It doesn’t seem right that Rick Hurst passed away this afternoon,” Jones wrote. “When something so unexpected happens, it is ‘harder to process,’ as the current expression goes.”
“I have known Rick for over 45 years and there wasn’t a minute of that time that he didn’t leave me smiling or laughing,” he added. “Sure he was a professional comedian, but mostly he just had a heart as big as Texas. He was a fine actor, a splendid comic, and a wonderfully supportive colleague.”
