A member of the 'Steve Harvey Morning Show' family was found dead at the W hotel in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend.
When he didn't hear from him, comedian Keir Spates asked the staff at the W hotel to check on his best friend and assistant Bryan Cooke early Sunday morning. When hotel staff knocked on the door and didn't get an answer, they entered the room and found him lying unresponsive on the bed.
They tried to wake him but it was too late. Cooke was pronounced dead on the scene.
Spates is a comedian on the Steve Harvey Morning Show on FM radio. He goes by the stage name JUNIOR and told the hotel staff that the two were supposed to catch a flight to Los Angeles and that it wasn't like Cooke to not answer his calls.
Spates told police that they had gone out Saturday night but returned to their separate hotel rooms around 3 a.m.
"Mr. Keir explained that he and Cooke went out and smoked cigars, but stated that they did not take any drugs. Mr. Spates stated that his friend was fine when they returned to the hotel, and said that he was having a normal conversation with him early that morning at the time of their arrival around 3AM," the incident report read.
According to the incident report, Cooke was found face down on the bed. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office said Cooke died from natural causes.
Later that day, Spates posted a tribute to his best friend on Instagram. He called Cooke his brother.
"We were friends since I was 16. I have no words. I am going to pull through for you Bryan Cooke. I won’t let you down. I love you and miss you. God must have needed a Titan in heaven today," the post read in part.
A post shared by "Junior Time" (@juniorshms) on
He asked his 25,000 followers to keep Cooke's family in their thoughts and prayers.
Cooke, 43 lived in Garland, Texas. After his death, authorities notified his father who also lives in Texas.
The Steve Harvey Morning Show was based in Atlanta up until last year when it was moved to Los Angeles.
