AN ACTOR who played Halle Berry’s son in the movie Monster’s Ball has passed away.
Coronji Calhoun was just 31 years old when he died from heart failure and lung issues, according to local reports.
A GoFundMe created by his mother, Theresa Bailey, confirmed the young star’s passing.
“Coronji Calhoun Sr. recently joined the ancestors in watching over me and our family on October 13, 2021,” the description on the page read.
“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.
“Now we ask for generosity in your donations as we prepare to give Coronji a sacred celebration of life.”
The page has amassed over $10,050 donations, including one from someone who claims to be Halle Berry.
The donator, whose name was published as the star’s, donated $3,394 to the cause.
In an update, the family confirmed that “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.”
Berry previously spoke about working with the young star back in 2001, where she explains how tough it was to portray an abusive mother.
“That scene was actually harder for me [than the iconic love scene between Berry and Billy Bob Thornton] 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,” she said.
“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.”
