Actress and comedian Cocoa Brown lost her home in a house fire over the weekend.
via: Daily Mail
Luckily the For Better or Worse star, 51, escaped the home with her son Phoenix, 12, and their pets unharmed.
And Cocoa has an angel looking out for her in the form of Tyler Perry, 54, who wrote and directed the OWN Network sitcom she starred on from 2011 to 2017.
He donated $400,000 to her to help her find a new home and she told TMZ that she’s filled with ‘profound gratitude’ for Perry’s support.
Friends of the actress also started a GoFundMe to help her rebuild or find a new home. The original goal for the fundraiser was $50,000 but that was quickly met and raised to $100,000.
Cocoa’s GoFundMe has raised more than $69,000 as of this writing with generous donations from some of her famous friends including Tiffany Haddish, Sherri Shepherd, Marlon Wayons, Byron Allen and The Breakfast Club podcast team.
The cause of the blaze might have been a lit candle, per TMZ, with a source telling the publication Cocoa believes one might have fallen into a pile of clothes.
Though the star reportedly attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher after her alarm went off, the fire spread too quickly and she had to escape.
Cocoa took to her Instagram on Monday to re-share the GoFundMe post.
‘Shining Light in Darkness: Supporting Cocoa Brown and Son Phoenix after Tragic Fire,’ the caption read.
‘Today, our community was shaken by the devastating news of Cocoa Brown and her son Phoenix losing their home in a fire.’
‘Cocoa, a beacon of joy in our lives through her incredible comedy, now faces an unimaginable challenge as she and her son must rebuild their lives from scratch.’
‘While we’re grateful to hear that they are safe, the road ahead is undoubtedly daunting,’ the post continued.
‘Cocoa Brown has brought laughter and light to countless lives with her talent and humor. Now, it’s our turn to rally around her and show our support in her time of need. Together, let’s shine a beacon of hope and happiness in this time of darkness.’
‘We’re launching a fundraising campaign to assist Cocoa and Phoenix as they embark on this journey to start anew. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a difference in helping them rebuild what was lost.’
On Thursday, Cocoa shared a poignant note of thanks on Instagram.
‘I’d like to thank everyone who has been reaching out to me and my son during this devastating time. I apologize if I haven’t been answering calls especially yesterday, but I lost my phone in the fire and I was using a spare phone that didn’t have enough memory, ‘ she wrote.
‘And the phone crashed, so if you were trying to reach me yesterday, my pologies this is by far the most devastating thing that’s ever happened to me at least with my parents I knew it was coming,’ she explained referring to the deaths of her parents.
‘I am not OK but all of your love and support has been incredibly generous and kind. Please pray for me and my son as we navigate through this unexpected horrific incident, Cocoa,’ she added.
