Andy Kaufman Is Alive? Young Woman Claiming to Be His Daughter Says Comic Faked His Death

Comic died after lung cancer battle in 1984, but 24-year-old claims it was an elaborate hoax

Andy Kaufman died on May 16, 1984, due to complications from lung cancer—or so we thought.

But on Monday, Nov. 11, at the Andy Kaufman Awards in NYC's Gotham Comedy Club, a 24-year-old woman claiming to be the comic's daughter told the crowd her father, who passed away 29 years ago, is actually still alive. Andy's brother Michael Kaufman also revealed, per the Comic's Comic, that he'd come across the Taxi star's elaborate plans to fake his death when looking through his belongings in 1984.

Let's backtrack a moment. Michael reportedly told the audience that Andy wrote about how he would use transcendental meditation to fake his death, but would return on Christmas Eve in 1999 at restaurant. Michael claims when that date arrived, he went to the restaurant and got a table under one of his brother's pseudonyms. Andy himself did not show up, but a letter was delivered to Michael purportedly from his brother saying he wanted "to go into hiding and live a normal life" but was still alive.

NEWS: Andy Kaufman being alive was also a rumor back in 2004

In this letter, Andy purportedly said he had fallen in love with a woman and had a daughter, and he requested that Michael not mention any of this while their father was still alive. Andy and Michael's father Stanley Kaufman passed away in the summer of 2013. Michael claims that about one month after this death, he received a call from a young woman saying she was Andy's daughter, and yes, that he was still alive. This woman also reportedly told Michael that Andy loved watching the Andy Kaufman Awards from afar.

At this point, per the Comic's Comic, Michael asked the audience if the young woman claiming to be Andy's daughter had by chance come out that night, at which point "a 24-year-old eventually stood up from the back of the room and sheepishly made her way onstage."

The young woman said Andy had "really considered" coming out to the awards himself. She shyly said he was "basically a stay-at-home dad" who helped her mother with "paperwork" with her small business. She claimed Andy's father's death is what made him really want to "reach out."

Andy's brother seemed awestruck, gave the young woman a hug, and kindly escorted her off the stage, asking that no one follow her and her privacy be respected.