Denora Valdez is a celebrity parent, best known as the mother of the stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster Joey Diaz. Denora was not popular in her day since she ran a bar, but her son’s fame has put her in the spotlight. Joey Diaz became famous for appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2010. He hosted his podcast, The Church of What’s Happening Now, with Lee Syatt from 2012 to 2020. He currently hosts Uncle Joey’s Joint. He’s also known for film and television role productions like My Name Is Earl, Spider-Man 2, Grudge Match, The Longest Yard, and The Many Saints of Newark. Please keep reading to learn more about Joey and his late mother.
Denora Valdez Bio
Denora was a private person and lived a simple life. Her date of birth and other personal details are unknown. Denora lost her husband when their only child and son, Joey Diaz, was only three years old. She went on to raise Joey alone, running a bar and a successful numbers game operation. When Joey was 16, he went through another tragedy when he found Denora dead in their home. The cause of Denora’s death was never revealed.
Denora Valdez’s Son
José Antonio Diaz (Joey Diaz) was born in Havana, Cuba, on 19 February 1963. His father died when he was three, and his mother raised him. Joey immigrated to the United States at a young age and was raised in North Bergen, New Jersey. Joey attended McKinley School and North Bergen High School, where he won awards for performing arts. At 16, Joey lost his mother. As if the loss wasn’t enough, he was the one who found her lifeless body at their home.
Following the loss of both parents, Joey Diaz was taken in by four families around North Bergen during his teenage years. His reckless behavior and lousy company led to him using drugs and committing crimes. As a result, he moved from one home to another.
In June 1985, Diaz moved to Colorado to study economics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. However, he quit and began selling roofing to earn money. All along, Diaz was unhappy, and he was still into crime. He was arrested for kidnapping and robbery and spent 16 months in prison, where he performed stand-up comedy.
Diaz performed his first gig on 18 June 1991 at the Comedy Works in Denver. He then entered the Beck’s Amateur Comedy Competition which he won. He would later grow his career and, in December 2016, put out his first one-hour comedy special, Sociably Unacceptable, through Seeso and Comedy Dynamics.
As an actor, Diaz has appeared in many films and television series. He has appeared in films like BASEkketball (1998), Spider-Man 2 (2004), The Longest Yard (2005), and The Dog Who Saved Christmas (2009). He has appeared in television series like NYPD Blue, Law & Order, My Name Is Earl, and Maron.
In September 2012, Diaz launched his podcast, The Church of What’s Happening Now, which he co-hosted with Lee Syatt. He launched Uncle Joey’s Joint in October 2020 after moving back to New Jersey from California.
Diaz divorced his first wife in 1991, with whom he had a daughter. He married Terrie Clark in 2009, and they have a daughter.
Wrapping Up
Although Denora left the world when her son was only a teen, he succeeded at making a name for himself years later.
