Coronji Calhoun Sr., who at age 10 portrayed Halle Berry’s son in “Monster’s Ball,” has died.
He was 31.
Calhoun died of congestive heart failure and lung issues, his mother, Theresa Bailey, told WWL-TV.
Although he died Oct. 13, his family only just finished raising the money for his funeral after Hollywood stepped in, reported the station based in New Orleans, where the movie was filmed. Calhoun was from New Sarpy, Louisiana, in St. Charles Parish, part of the Greater New Orleans area.
In the film he portrayed Tyrell Musgrove, and his father, Lawrence, was played by Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Calhoun’s real-life family met its $10,000 funding goal on Tuesday, after Berry and producer Lee Daniels each contributed $3,394, WWL reported.
“Coronji Calhoun Sr. recently joined the ancestors in watching over me and our family on October 13, 2021,” Bailey wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Unfortunately, we did not have any life insurance policy on him (as we never expected this tragedy to befall us) before he transitioned. Now we ask for generosity in your donations as we prepare to give Coronji a sacred celebration of life.”
Berry won a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of abusive mother Leticia Musgrove, the first — and to date, only — Black American actress to do so in the leading role category.
In a 2001 radio interview, she recounted how hard it was to berate Calhoun’s character, given that he was not an actor and was already facing abuse at school for being overweight.
One of six children, the former child actor leaves behind a 10-year-old son and a 13-year-old stepson, WWL said. Bailey called him “a loving father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend to his community.”
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