Dominique Brown attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana 2” at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, California on November 25, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES – Disney theme park influencer Dominique Brown died after experiening a “medical emergency” at a holiday event last week in Los Angeles, according to an official statement from event host and pop-culture retail company BoxLunch. She was 34.
PEOPLE reports Brown suffered from an allergic reaction after eating food that contained ingredients she was allergic to. Brown reportedly told staff about her allergy and was informed that her food did not contain the allergen.
“She was my mom’s best friend of 10 years,” @hideyagrannies wrote on X.“She asked if there was peanuts in the food and everyone told her no.”
Brown received CPR at the event and 911 was immediately called.
“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 on Thursday in Los Angeles,” BoxLunch wrote in a statement to the outlet.
“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.”
Brown’s official cause of death was not released.
Her brother, Patrick Ramos, shared the heartbreaking news on her final Instagram post, which showed her wearing a Winnie the Pooh-themed outfit in 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,” Ramos said. “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.
Brown most recently attended the “Moana 2” premiere on Nov. 27, where she was pictured on the red carpet.
The Long Beach resident was a co-creator of BlackGirlDisney with her friend Mia Von. The project’s mission is to bring together more women of color who also enjoy the Disney brand and theme parks.
Following Brown’s death, a petition on Change.org was created, calling for more food allergy measures in California.
“Our beloved Dominique “Domo” Brown tragically lost her life due to a severe allergic reaction at an event + food establishment in Los Angeles,” the petition stated. “Despite informing staff of her life-threatening allergy, she was served a dish containing the allergen. The establishment lacked critical life-saving tools like epinephrine autoinjectors (EpiPens) and trained staff to respond effectively.”
The petition calls for new legislation including mandatory EpiPens as part of emergency supplies at restaurants or venues that serve food, and required training for staff to treat allergic reactions.
At last check, the petition had garnered over 18,000 signatures.
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.”
The Source: This story was reported with information from People, Change.org, and the social media pages of Dominique Brown.
