Tyler Perry reportedly offers $400K to Cocoa Brown after she lost home to fire
Cocoa Brown attends "Maxines Baby: A Tyler Perry Story" at Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University on November 8, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - Tyler Perry is reportedly stepping up to help actress and comedian Cocoa Brown after she and her young son lost their Georgia home in a devastating fire.
TMZ reports that the Atlanta media mogul offered Brown, who is best known for her role as Jennifer in the Perry-created sitcom "For Better or Worse," $400,000 for a new home.
Brown, 51, lived in a home on Mountain Laurel Way in Fayetteville, Georgia with her son, Phoenix.
The Fayette County Department of Fire & Emergency Services confirmed with FOX 5 that firefighters responded to reports of a fire at the home on the afternoon of Feb. 18.
By the time crews arrived, officials say they found the home's second floor and attic covered with heavy flames. The conditions were so quickly deteriorating that all personnel were pulled from the structure just before part of the home collapsed.
The cause of the fire may have been a lit candle that fell onto a pile of clothing. Brown reportedly tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but was unable to do so.
Friends of the actress and comedian have started a GoFundMe, with a goal of $50,000. As of Monday morning, the GoFundMe has raised more than $75,000 of its $100,000 goal from more than 1,200 donors.
Perry isn't the only one in the entertainment industry to send their love and support to Brown. Top donors to her GoFundMe included media mogul Byron Allen and fellow comedians Marlon Wayans and Tiffany Haddish.
Brown told TMZ that she and her son have been "deeply moved" by the support and are "filled with profound gratitude" for Perry's help.
"Having each other, our fur babies, and seeing and feeling all this love has strengthened our love for each other and humanity," Brown said.
She has an upcoming performance during the Funk 'N Funny Brunch with Kasper & The 911 Band and LaMont Ferrell at The City Winery in Atlanta on March 2.
Other TV and film credits include "A Dark Way Out," "Never Have I Ever," "9-1-1," "The Soul Man," and "American Crime Story."
The fire department says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.