Halle Berry’s son in movie Monster’s Ball, Coronji Calhoun Sr., has died aged 30.
Coronji played the character Tyrell Musgrove in the 2001 film.
The 30-year-old’s death was caused by heart failure and lung problems on October 13, his mother confirmed.
Berry and Monster’s Ball producer Lee Daniels have contributed to a GoFundMe page for his funeral costs, both with donations of $3,394 (£2,531) each.
His mother, Theresa Bailey, wrote on Wednesday on the page: “Coronji Calhoun Sr. recently joined the ancestors in watching over me and our family on October 13, 2021.
“At the age of ten, he portrayed Tyrell, son of Lawrence (Sean “P. Diddy” Combs) and Leticia Musgrove (Halle Berry) in the 2001 Academy Award winning film, Monster’s Ball.
“Unfortunately, we did not have any life insurance policy on him (as we never expected this tragedy to befall us) before he transitioned.”
She continued to ask fans for help, she added: “Now we ask for generosity in your donations as we prepare to give Coronji a sacred celebration of life.”
(Image: Coronji Calhoun/Instagram)
The page has over $10,000 (£7,500) in donations now.
“We are blown away by the outpouring of love the community and Coronji’s adopted family has shown during our process of grief,” an update read.
“While the financial burden has been lifted, we still mourn the loss of my son.
“As we close this chapter, we ask that in your remembrance of him, you remember to love your neighbour as yourself, because that is what Coronji did for his entire community.”
Coronji secured the role in Monster’s Ball as the son of Berry’s lead character, Leticia Musgrove, after attending an open casting call in Louisiana.
Berry has previously discussed acting with the young star as she played an abusive mother.
She said: “That scene was actually hard for me because he’s a real little boy with a real weight problem and he has real issues surrounding it himself.
“And he was not an actor. [Director Marc Forster] just plucked him out of obscurity in Louisiana, so he really didn’t understand the process, or so I thought.
“I talked a lot with him and his mother and I explained and explained, so before every take, I would hug him and kiss him, and after every take, I’d hug him and kiss him.”
In the movie, his character dies after a bad accident.
Monster’s Ball is the only acting credit Coronji had.
The film earned Berry an Oscar for Best Actress, the first woman of colour to win in the lead category.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
