Halle Berry urges her social media followers to help out an immigrant owner whose shop was looted and burned in LA protests
Halle Berry used her enormous clout to help out a struggling family after their clothing store was looted and burned in this weekend protests in Los Angeles.
The 53-year-old actress posted about the plight of Ned Harounian, an 81-year-old immigrant, who lost everything when his shop on Melrose was destroyed.
She called her followers to action and urged them to donated to a fundraiser set up to cover the costs of restoring the shop.
Helping hand: Halle Berry, 53, urged her social media followers to donate to the family of an immigrant shop owner in Los Angeles whose business was destroyed amid LA's riots; shown in 2019
'An 81 year old immigrant father and business owner, Ned Harounian, had his Melrose shop looted and burned to the ground over the weekend,' she wrote on Instagram.
'He immigrated in 1985 and for 30 years he put his life into his business and community,' she continued, adding that 'His recently deceased wife's jewelry was also stolen.'
Share this article
'Los Angeles — I know thing are crazy right now, but I hope we can all take a minute to help this man out!!' she concluded, not his son had created a GoFundMe campaign.
She also duplicated much of the post in a series of tweets shared around the same time.
Destroyed: Ned Harounian, 81, had his Melrose shop looted and then burned over the weekend. He sold high-end jackets and Doc Martens boots
Heartbreaking: Harounian's late wife's jewelry was also stolen in the commotion. Halle urged her fans to donate to a GoFundMe to help restore the store
One of the photos from the GoFundMe account that she posted to Instagram featured Harounian's late wife smiling while posing with Shaquille O'Neal.
Other businesses and public institutions throughout Los Angeles and in other major US cities have been looted amid protests inspired by the May 25 death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis.
He died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes, including two minutes after he had stopped breathing and became unresponsive.
The officer was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter days after Floyd's death, and he and the other three officers at the scene were all fired.
Coming soon: Halle is next set to star in the sci-fi disaster flick Moonfall, directed by Independence Day's Roland Emmerich; pictured in 2017 in San Diego
Though Halle's acting career is temporarily on hold as Hollywood remains shut down in response to the coronavirus pandemic, she's set to appear in the upcoming science fiction disaster film Moonfall.
The movie, directed by Independence Day's Roland Emmerich, will feature her as an astronaut whose past missions into space may hold a clue to humanity's survival after a cataclysmic event knocks the moon out of its orbit and sends it headed toward the surface of the Earth, according to Variety.
She'll be joined by Josh Gad, 39, playing a genius scientist who first realizes the moon is sailing towards Earth in a rare dramatic turn for the comic star.
Frozen vet: Josh Gad is already attached to the film, which tells the story suggested by its title: something has knocked the moon out of orbit, causing it to fall to earth; seen here in January
Most watched News videos
- Sweet moment Wills meets baby Harry during visit to skills centre
- Ashley Judd shames decision to overturn Weinstein rape conviction
- Terrorism suspect admits murder motivated by Gaza conflict
- Russia: Nuclear weapons in Poland would become targets in wider war
- 'Dine-and-dashers' confronted by staff after 'trying to do a runner'
- Wills' rockstar reception! Prince of Wales greeted with huge cheers
- Moment escaped Household Cavalry horses rampage through London
- Shocking moment British woman is punched by Thai security guard
- Prison Break fail! Moment prisoners escape prison and are arrested
- Shocking moment pandas attack zookeeper in front of onlookers
- Don't mess with Grandad! Pensioner fights back against pickpockets
- Prince Harry presents a Soldier of the Year award to US combat medic
