Shocking murder of L.A. philanthropist
Jacqueline Avant, the wife of music industry titan Clarence Avant, was fatally shot early Wednesday in the couple’s Beverly Hills home. She was 81.
Police believe Avant was shot during a home invasion robbery, the Los Angeles Times reported. Clarence Avant, 90, was not injured in the attack.
No suspects have been arrested.
Beverly Hills police arrived at the Avants’ home about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday to discover Jacqueline Avant suffering from gunshot wounds, according to a press release. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive. No suspects were at the home by the time police got there.
The Avants’ private security guard was shot at during the attack, according to the Los Angeles Times. Police believe the robbery was a group effort and said at least one burglar got inside the home.
Avant was beloved for her work in the community. She supported Neighbors of Watts, the South Central Community Child Care Center and UCLA’s international student center, among other causes.
In 1967, she married Clarence Avant. Her husband became one of the most influential people in music, helping to kickstart the careers of iconic Black musicians like Bill Withers, Antonio “LA” Reid, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In 2019, Netflix released a documentary about Avant titled “The Black Godfather.” The film focused on him getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
“If you want to get an interview with some of the most important people in the world, say it’s for Clarence Avant,” the film’s director, Reginald Hudlin, told the Daily News.
The film includes interviews with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Snoop Dogg, Lionel Richie, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Hank Aaron, among many others.
“Cookie and I are absolutely devastated at the loss of one of our closest friends, Jackie Avant,” Magic Johnson said Wednesday. “This is the saddest day in our lives.”
Jacqueline and Clarence had two children, daughter Nicole and son Alex. Nicole produced “The Black Godfather,” is married to Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos and was U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas from 2009 to 2011 under Obama.
“Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen and a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years,” Clinton said. “She inspired admiration, respect and affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed.”