Mexican Children’s Comic Xavier ‘Chabelo’ López Dies at 88

Beloved comedian and television icon Xavier López, most noted by the viewers as the TV superstar ‘Chabelo’ has died. The Mexican comic passed away at the age of 88 on Saturday.

The unfortunate news of Xavier López’s demise was announced on the social networking platform Twitter. Keep scrolling further to find out the cause behind the death of the legendary comic.

What was the cause behind the death of Xavier López?

Mexican actor, comedian, television presenter, and children’s music singer, Xavier López Rodríguez popularly known by his fans worldwide as ‘Chabelo’ died due to “abdominal complications.” At the time of his passing, he was 88 years old. He was one of the last stars from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.

The sad news of the popular children’s comic was shared on his official Twitter page this morning via a statement that read, “This is a very sad morning, Xavier López, Chabelo, father, brother, and husband has left us suddenly, due to abdominal complications.”

In a separate tweet, Xavier’s family said, “With a torn soul and knowing that many and many people have loved him for many years and that they will feel his departure, we ask you to pray for his rest and give us the opportunity to spend in peace the mourning that overwhelms our entire family. Lopez Miranda Family.”

According to a Facebook post shared by famous news personality Debora Estrella, Xavier was hospitalized in CDMX for intestinal disease where he took his last breaths at around 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Debora took to her Facebook profile and wrote, “LAST MINUTE They report the death of Xavier López “Chabelo” at the age of 88. He was hospitalized in CDMX due to intestinal disease and died around 8:00 a.m. of this Saturday. RIP.” Chabelo is survived by his wife Teresita Miranda.

Who was Xavier López?

Chabelo was a Mexican actor, comedian, and television host who was born on February 17, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois, the United States. As per a report by Variety, before stepping into the world of entertainment, he trained to be a doctor.

Xavier was best known for his television show En Familia con Chabelo, which ran for a total of 47 years from the year 1967 to 2015. He was the host of Mexico’s longest-running TV show. For the children’s TV show, he dressed up as a kid wearing suspenders with a singular voice which was often imitated by his fans.

According to the IMDb page of the Mexican superstar, his first acting credit came in the comedy Viaje a la luna where he shared the screen with Kitty de Hoyos, Sergio Corona, and Alfonso Arau.

Throughout his celebrated career, López appeared in more than 30 films and starred in many TV shows. Over the years, he dressed up in children’s clothing and entertained his fans all over the world. In the year 2016, he won a special blimp at the Kids Choice Awards México for his career in television, film, and theater.

Xavier López starred in many movies and TV shows

During his illustrious career, Xavier appeared in several movies like Chistelandia (1958), El Extra (1962), Escuela para solteras (1965), Los reyes del volante (1965), Los dos rivales (1966), and La princesa hippie (1969).

López’s television credits included La carabina de Ambrosio (1978), La cuchufleta (1995),  La Güereja y algo más (1998), La familia P. Luche (2002) with Eugenio Derbez, La escuelita VIP (2004) and Los Simuladores (2009).

In addition to this, he was also a part of many telenovelas such as Cuento de Navidad (1999), Carita de ángel (2000), Navidad sin fin (2001) and Amarte es mi pecado (2004).

All you need to know about Xavier López’s early life

Xavier was born to Mexican parents in Chicago. His acting career took off when he met a couple of famous actors, whose names were “Panseco y Gamboa.” Panseco worked on TV, meanwhile, Gamboa worked on radio. The duo was very popular in Mexico and they taught Xavier the basics of the TV business.

Soon after, López was hired as his “Chabelo” character to be the spokesman of Pepsi Cola, for which he traveled all over North and South Africa. After he collaborated with the brand, he was unemployed for some time. Then, he was hired for a show in New York City. Around the same time, he starred in the 1962 Cantinflas film El Extra. He played the role of Panchito in the movie.

Over the span of many decades, Xavier became a household name. He was known for his remarkable work as a comedian and actor. It’s not easy to make people laugh, but Chabela managed to do it effortlessly.

Tributes pour in for the Mexican comedian Xavier López

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the President of Mexico expressed his condolences on social media. He tweeted, “Hugs to family and friends for the death of Xavier López ‘Chabelo.’ How can I forget that my eldest son woke up early to see him over 40 years ago.”

Popular Mexican journalist Adela Micha penned, “The man who filled us with laughter, the one who brought families together in front of the television to share joy. My dear Chabelo, thank you for making so many generations remember the child that we all carry inside.”

El hombre que nos llenó de risas, el que juntaba a las familias frente al televisor para compartir la alegría. Mi querido Chabelo, gracias por hacer que tantas generaciones recordaran al niño que todos llevamos dentro. pic.twitter.com/JhX3G8fUrw

— Adela Micha (@Adela_Micha) March 25, 2023

Mexican actor Héctor Suárez Hernández also mourned the loss of Xavier on Twitter by writing, “I will always remember Chabelo for his generosity, his discipline, for his movie with Pepito and the monsters, his scene in a movie with Cantinflas, the sketches in La Carabina de Ambrosio and for having been my friend all my life… Rest in peace.”

José Ramón Fernández wrote, “Referent of Mexican television. It marked an era and its history is in the hearts of many generations who enjoyed it at home every Sunday morning with its game show. Rest in Peace the great actor and comedian, THE ETERNAL CHILD, Xavier López #Chabelo”