Family Tragedy hits Parris Goebel
Kiwi star jets home to help comfort sister and brother-in-law.
The outpouring of love and support from all corners of the Earth has been incredible. Brett Goebel
Kiwi hip-hop choreographer to the stars Parris Goebel and her family are mourning the tragic loss of her 15-monthold nephew.
Amarni Collins — the son of Goebel’s sister, Kendal, and her husband Sean Collins — died in hospital on Friday, just three days after being admitted with a heart problem.
Goebel, and her father and manager, Brett, learned the shattering news after landing at Los Angeles International Airport en route from New York to London on Friday.
The pair had attended the MTV Video Music Awards in New York on Monday.
“The plane landed and we turned on our phones and all of these messages appeared. It was pretty messy,” Brett Goebel told the Herald on Sunday.
“We walked out of one terminal and headed over to the Air New Zealand terminal as quick as we could and got on the next plane home.”
The Goebels arrived in New Zealand about 6.30am yesterday.
Parris Goebel, who has worked with chart-toppers Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj, revealed the tragedy on social media yesterday, writing: “My fingers are numb, my heartbeat is slow. “Today I feel pain, all over my soul. It’s hard to believe my munchkin is gone.
“But your song I will sing as I try to carry on. You are needed in heaven, so fly away, I will be missing your kisses every day.”
Amarni died in the same week Brett Goebel welcomed his 11th grandchild into the world.
He described Amarni as a “beautiful little boy, he was really happy all of the time”.
“He is a bundle of joy and a blessing. We are shattered — but the thing that is getting us through is that we know we will see him again.
“The outpouring of love and support from all corners of the Earth has been incredible. The support we are receiving is massive.”
Amarni will be farewelled on Tuesday.
“We will make sure we have a beautiful farewell and make sure we honour him with our lives going forward,” Brett Goebel said.
Parris Goebel was nominated for three MTV awards.