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Coronji Calhoun Sr., Who Played Halle Berrys Son in Monsters Ball, Dies at 30

Coronji Calhoun Sr., the actor who played Tyrell, the son of Halle Berry and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ characters, in the 2001 film “Monster’s Ball,” died on Oct. 13. He was 30. 

Calhoun died of congestive heart failure and lung problems, CBS affiliate 4WWL confirmed. The news was shared by his mother Theresa Bailey with 4WWL and via a GoFundMe page titled “Coronji’s Homecoming,” where she aimed to raise money to “give Coronji a sacred celebration of life.” The fundraiser aims to raise $14,000, and it has received two donations of $3,394 from Berry and Lee Daniels, who produced “Monster’s Ball.”

Calhoun appeared in the film, his only acting credit, when he was 10 years old. Set and shot in Louisiana, where Calhoun was from, the film follows a widower named Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) and his son Sonny (Heath Ledger), two corrections officers working in a prison who oversee the execution of Lawrence Musgroves (Combs), a convicted murderer. The film then looks at the lives of Leticia Musgroves (Berry) and Tyrell, as Leticia physically and emotionally abuses Tyrell due to his weight. Hank sees the mother and son on the side of the road calling for help when Tyrell is struck by a car one night, and without knowing they’re related to Lawrence, Hank drives them to the hospital, where Tyrell is pronounced dead. He later takes Leticia home and finds out who she is, without revealing his involvement in Lawrence’s death.

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According to the GoFundMe, Calhoun’s funeral took place on Nov 10.

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“On behalf of the Calhoun and Bailey family, I would like to thank each and every individual who found it in their hearts to extend the much needed financial support to lay Coronji Sr. to rest,” Bailey wrote on the page. “We are blown away by the outpouring of love the community and Coronji’s adopted family has shown during our process of grief. 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 neighbor as yourself, because that is what Coronji did for his entire community.

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