Disney influencer and cofounder of Black Girl Disney, Dominique Brown, died at a holiday gathering last week after suffering a “medical emergency,” according to an official statement from event host and pop-culture retail company BoxLunch.
Amid an ongoing investigation by the company, some media outlets and influencers are specifying that Brown, 34, died of an anaphylactic reaction after unknowingly ingesting food that she was allergic to, possibly peanuts, despite what many allege were warnings given by Brown to the staff. After 911 was called, a People reporter witnessed Brown receive CPR at the event, which took place at Vibiana in Los Angeles.
Approximately 33 million people in the United States have at least one food allergy, according to Food Allergy Research & Education, which issued a statement in reaction to Brown's death that stressed, "As a community, we need to be informed and ready to act so that this doesn’t happen anymore; or, if it does happen, so we are able to assist."
Anaphylaxis is a severe and life-threatening reaction that happens when an over-release of chemicals puts a person into shock, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Allergies to food, insect stings, medications, and latex are most frequently associated with anaphylaxis, and symptoms—which can occur suddenly and progress quickly—may start with a runny nose or “strange feeling” and then lead to more serious reactions, including trouble breathing, nausea, swelling, or cardiac arrest.
Brown’s brother, Patrick Ramos, thanked her supporters in the comments of Brown’s last Instagram post, in which she was trying on a Winnie the Pooh hat at a Disney Store. “I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to her social media fam for showing her so much love and light,” he wrote. “Disney did bring her joy, but it was unparalleled that she found a community who loved her and Disney as much as she did. I will miss my sister and best friend and that infectious smile she always had.”
Other comments by Brown’s 20,000-plus followers expressed both sadness over losing someone they had followed for years and anger over what appeared to be a mix-up with caterers. “We will be LOUD about your death and support your family in however they choose to handle your untimely, avoidable passing,” noted one supporter in the comments of the last Black Girl Disney Instagram post. Another added, “Absolutely unacceptable! I hope her family sues the letters off the sign.”
Many others took to X to blame BoxLunch for the incident, while Brown’s friend, animator Eddie Clark, posted a video of him with Brown and the comment, “My soul hurts. I lost my cohost, my friend, my sister. It doesn’t seem real.”
BoxLunch has not yet responded to Fortune's request for comment, but a statement offered by BoxLunch to People and Us Weekly reads, “We are devastated by the passing of Dominique Brown, a beloved member of the BoxLunch Collective, who suffered a medical emergency at an event hosted by BoxLunch Thursday in Los Angeles. Our hearts go out to her family and friends, and we will do everything we can to support them and the members of the BoxLunch Collective and our team during this painful time.”
Vibiana shared the following statement with Fortune, from owner Amy Knoll: "Our hearts and deepest sympathy go out to the family and loved ones of Dominique Brown during this heartbreaking time. As we await further, more conclusive information about this tragic incident, we remain fully committed to our ongoing and comprehensive internal review and to collaborating closely with all parties involved to understand the circumstances surrounding this devastating loss."
Brown, 34, founded Black Girl Disney and created the #blackgirldisney hashtag with Mia Von in 2018 after noticing that the world of Disney fandom was “melanin deficient,” they explain on the website. “Like most things that lack representation, new platforms are created out of a necessity to see yourself. We wanted to create a space where we were not only represented, but CENTERED!”
The influencer celebrated her birthday on Nov. 12, posting a photo of herself in front of an Inside Out 2 poster on Instagram with the caption, “All the emotions and the one I’m feeling the most is JOY.”
