"Friday" Star AJ Johnson's Wife Cries As She Speaks About Lack Of Financial Support

BY Erika Marie 7.4K Views
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AJ Johnson
The late comedian's family launched a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs and people who promised to give haven't contributed.

This week, the entertainment industry has suffered several losses. Sex and the City star Willie Garson passed away at 57, Hollywood trailblazer Melvin Van Peebles passed at 89, and famed comedian Anthony "AJ" Johnson died at 55. The latter is known for his stand-up career as well as his roles in films such as Friday, and as tributes continue to pour in, Johnson's wife has taken to social media to lament about the lack of support.

A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign was set up to help Johnson's family cover funeral costs, and according to Johnson's wife Lexis Jones Mason, there have been few contributions.

The grieving widow sat down with TMZ for a tearful virtual interview where she spoke about the campaign. "There's $700 in there, a few of my friends CashApp me and I got like, another $400. But no, it's like you say, hello, where's the love? Y'all not helping," she said. "We're raising money because I have to pay for this all out of pocket. I'm asking for help, but if I don't get it, I'm fine, because I'm not leaving my husband in there like that."

"We're gonna have a service, I'm gonna do everything I know he would have done for me," Lexis continued as she began to get choked up. "It's just hurtful. I would not be asking if we had it or had a policy. I'm not the one. It's people saying that they're gonna give money and we haven't received it."

Watch her video in full below.

[via]


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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