Update: 9:13 a.m. ET (Dec. 7, 2021) – Police have arrested a suspect in Jacqueline Avant’s attack and charged him with murder. According to Variety, Aariel Maynor, 29, was also charged with attempted murder for shooting at a security guard as well as charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of residential burglary. Original story below.
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Jacqueline Avant, wife of music/entertainment legend Clarence Avant, was reportedly shot and killed during a home invasion in California. According to TMZ, the couple’s home was broken into on Tuesday night (Nov. 30) and intruders fired shots hitting the 81-year-old. Clarence was also reportedly home at the time. The Avant’s had been married for 54 years.
The couple’s home is in Trousdale Estate, an affluent neighborhood near Beverly Hills. The police were called to the residence at around 2:30 AM PST according to the outlet. The 911 dispatcher was informed someone had been shot during a home invasion. When police arrived, Mrs. Avant had already been transported to a hospital.
In October, Clarence, who is regarded as the “Godfather Of Black Music,” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and given the Ahmet Ertegun Award which recognizes non-performing industry professionals. In his career, he was the executive producer for the 1973 concert film Save the Children, a mentor to the songwriting/production teams of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and L.A. Reid and Babyface, and consultant for many more industry elites. His storied career is detailed in the critically acclaimed The Black Godfather documentary, directed by Reginald Hudlin and released by Netflix in 2019.
Jacqueline served as the President of the Neighbors of Watts a support group that focused on child care according to TMZ, as well as served on the Board of Directors of UCLA’s International Student Center. The couple’s daughter Nicole Avant is married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family.