A Disney-inspired social media influencer, Dominique Brown, 34, died after suffering a medical emergency during a lunch in downtown Los Angeles hosted by the pop-culture themed retail merchandiser BoxLunch on 5 December.
Brown co-founded Black Girl Disney in 2018 with her friend Mia Von in response to noticing a lack of representation of Black women among Disney influencers.
According a user on X who claimed she was their mother's best friend of 10 years, Brown had a severe peanut allergy and was told there were no peanuts in the food at the event, but instantly felt bad and asked to be taken to a hospital. An investigation is ongoing into her cause of death, reported SFGate.
In a statement made to Us Weekly , BoxLunch said: "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."
An unnamed source told Us Weekly that 911 was called immediately and that the company alerted the venue of food allergies of all guests. In Brown's last Instagram post, she wore a Winnie the Pooh sweater, crediting BoxLunch.
A People Magazine reporter at the event said CPR was immediately administered on Brown at the event. She had most recently attended the Disney premiere of the film Moana 2.
"This didn't have to happen. 😔...it just didn't," wrote a friend of Brown's on Threads posting photos of them together.
Brown's brother in a comment on her final Instagram post wrote: "I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to her social media fam for showing her so much love and light. 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. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart. ❤️"