Ailing actor Bernie Mac is in a "very, very critical" condition as he battles pneumonia in a Chicago, Illinois hospital, according sources close to his family.

After news of his illness broke on Friday, the comedian's publicist Danica Smith spent the weekend playing down reports Mac's health had rapidly deteriorated, with some rumors claiming he had died.

Speaking on Sunday, she insisted, "Bernie Mac is still alive and being treated in a Chicago hospital for pneumonia and is expected to make a full recovery. (He is) responding well to treatment and will be released soon."

However, an insider tells the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper his condition is more serious, saying only that he is in a "very, very critical" state.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

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