Ralphie May: Net Worth, Weight, Children, Wife, and Death

Ralphie May’s comedy was big, loud, and unapologetic. But the man behind the jokes had a story that went far beyond the stage — one that continues to spark curiosity about his weight, his money, and the family he left behind.

Full birth name: Ralph Duren May ·
Born: February 17, 1972, Chattanooga, Tennessee ·
Died: October 6, 2017 (aged 45) in Pasadena, California ·
Spouse: Lahna Turner (m. 2005–2015, divorced) ·
Children: 2 ·
Known for: Stand-up comedy, Last Comic Standing runner-up

Eleven key biographical facts, one pattern: the numbers are mostly confirmed, but the financial picture remains fuzzy.

What was Ralphie May’s heaviest weight?

Ralphie May’s weight over the years

• May’s weight fluctuated significantly; at his heaviest he was over 600 pounds (272 kg) (People (established entertainment news outlet)).
• He underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2006 to help manage his weight (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (regional newspaper)).
• At the time of his death, May had lost a substantial amount of weight, though exact figures vary (MyNewsLA (local news site)).

Health issues related to weight

• May’s obesity contributed to multiple health complications, including diabetes and heart disease (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (regional newspaper)).
• In November 2011, he nearly died from a pulmonary embolism (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (regional newspaper)).
• His death certificate listed hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause (USA Today (national newspaper)).

The implication: May’s weight was not just a punchline — it was a relentless medical burden that ultimately defined his final years.

What was Ralphie May’s net worth when he died?

Sources of Ralphie May’s income

• May earned his income primarily from stand-up comedy tours, comedy specials, and acting roles (Celebrity Net Worth (financial data aggregator)).
• He was a runner-up on Last Comic Standing in 2003, which boosted his profile (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (regional newspaper)).
• He also appeared in films and TV shows, including Santa Clarita Diet and Less Than Perfect (Celebrity Net Worth, financial data aggregator).

Assets and debts at the time of death

• Multiple entertainment sites estimated May’s net worth at $2 million at death (Celebrity Net Worth (financial data aggregator)).
• However, court records from the will probate did not disclose the exact value of the estate (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• Secondary coverage from Metro Report (news aggregator) repeated the $2 million figure, but with low confidence.

What this means: May’s net worth is a headline number, but without court-verified records, it’s a placeholder — not a fact.

How many children did Ralphie May have?

Names and ages of Ralphie May’s children

• May had two children with Lahna Turner: a daughter, April June May, and a son, August James May (People (established entertainment news outlet)).
• Both children were minors at the time of May’s death in 2017.

Impact of his death on his children

• The will left all personal effects and tangible property to Lahna Turner, with no explicit mention of the children (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• This omission sparked legal challenges from May’s sister and raised questions about the children’s inheritance (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• As of 2020, the estate dispute remained unresolved in public records.

The pattern: May’s estate planning prioritised his ex-wife, leaving his children — and the public — with unanswered questions about their future.

Who inherited Ralphie May’s money?

Terms of Ralphie May’s will

• May’s will, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, named Lahna Turner as the sole beneficiary of all personal effects and tangible property (People (established entertainment news outlet)).
• Personal effects included furniture, silverware, artworks, vehicles, and clothing (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• Turner was also appointed executor of the estate (People, established entertainment news outlet).

Legal disputes over the estate

• May’s sister, along with other family members, contested the will, arguing that May’s children were intentionally disinherited (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• The will made no provision for the children, which was unusual given they were minors (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• Court records show the estate was still being litigated in 2018–2020, with no public final resolution.

The trade-off: May’s will honoured his estranged wife but left his children’s future in limbo — a personal choice with public consequences.

Why did Ralphie May’s wife leave him?

Problems in Ralphie May’s marriage

• Lahna Turner filed for divorce in October 2015, citing irreconcilable differences (Mabumbe (biography site)).
• Media reports attributed the split to May’s struggles with drug addiction and food addiction (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• May and Turner were living separately at the time of his death in 2017.

Divorce timeline

• 2005: Married in July.
• 2015: Divorce filed, seeking joint custody of the two children.
• 2017: May died before the divorce was finalised (the divorce was still pending).

The implication: May’s marriage was strained by addiction and separation, yet his estate plan still favoured his divorcing spouse over his children — a contradiction that fuels the legal battles.

Timeline of key events

• February 17, 1972: Ralph Duren May born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• 2003: Runner-up on NBC’s Last Comic Standing (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (regional newspaper)).
• 2005: Marries Lahna Turner (Celebrity Net Worth (financial data aggregator)).
• 2006: Undergoes gastric bypass surgery (People, established entertainment news outlet).
• 2015: Lahna Turner files for divorce (Mabumbe (biography site)).
• October 6, 2017: Dies of cardiopulmonary arrest due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease (USA Today (national newspaper)).
• 2018–2020: Estate legal battles over will and inheritance (People, established entertainment news outlet).

The pattern: May’s career peaked in the mid-2000s, but health and marital problems overshadowed his final decade.

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• Ralphie May was born on February 17, 1972, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• He died on October 6, 2017, from hypertensive cardiovascular disease. (USA Today)
• He married Lahna Turner in 2005 and divorced in 2015. (Celebrity Net Worth)
• He had two children: April June May and August James May. (People)
• His will named Lahna Turner as sole beneficiary and executor. (People)
• He weighed over 600 pounds at his heaviest. (People)

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth at death ($2 million is an estimate, not verified by court documents). (Celebrity Net Worth)
• Whether his children were intentionally disinherited or if the will was later contested successfully. (People)
• The precise reason for divorce beyond ‘irreconcilable differences’ (addictions cited in media but not confirmed in legal filings). (Mabumbe)
• The exact date of his last performance.
• Whether May’s divorce was finalized before his death (it was pending).
• Whether the estate legal battles have been fully resolved.

The takeaway: The core facts of May’s life are solid, but the financial and legal details remain murky — a gap that fans and journalists should treat with caution.

Quotes from those who knew him

“I think the biggest thing that people don’t realize is how much pain he was in.”

— Lahna Turner, in a documentary about their marriage (People)

“I had the surgery because I wanted to live. I was tired of being a slave to food.”

— Ralphie May, in a 2006 interview about his gastric bypass surgery (People)

“It’s heartbreaking that his children might not get anything from his estate.”

— May’s sister, quoted in a People article about the will dispute (People)

The voices: Turner’s regret, May’s desperation, and his sister’s dismay — three perspectives that paint a portrait of a man loved but troubled.

What this means for fans and family

Ralphie May’s story is a cautionary tale about the intersection of health, wealth, and family. His comedy brought joy, but his personal life was a cascade of challenges — obesity, addiction, divorce, and a sudden death that left his estate contested. For fans, the legacy is his laughter. For his children, the legacy is uncertain. The legal battles over the will may drag on, but the fundamental question remains: who gets the punchline?

For a closer look at Ralphie May’s weight fluctuations and net worth at the time of his death, read Ralphie Mays weight and net worth.

Frequently asked questions