View this post on Instagram You gave me my first movie role, my first Oscar nomination and so much more. Thank you for all you have given to the world through your work and all you have done for Black culture, women and young filmmakers. I will miss you John. Keeping your family in my prayers. 💜 A post shared by Janet Jackson (@janetjackson) on Apr 29, 2019 at 4:15pm PDT
View this post on Instagram Laying in bed, I’m confused my soul feels drained.. For the last 2 days I was in the presence of my HERO a man who literally changed my life and my families life forever.. Of ALL the people in the world he decided to believe in me?.. a young impressionable ghetto little black boy from Watts who had hopes and dreams praying everyday that God would figure out a way to get me out of the hood and see some shit... Like many of my nighas I grew up with I just didn’t wanna end up in jail, or dead.. I woke up after crying myself to sleep with a heavy heart, Yesterday I took a shower and while standing there.. Just started balling crying I got out of the shower and went back to lay down and the tears wouldn’t stop, I told my wife these exact words.. “Baby I know today is my last day in town and we made family plans but I need to get back to John and pray over him. I feel like tomorrow or next week might not be promised, I’m leaving to go back to London and I got this feeling deep in my chest, my heart is fluttering... And although I have complete faith in God and his miracles I feel like he might not be here when I get back”. Without even blinking my wife said ok let’s go. I went to see John and I as soon as I stepped off the elevator I was greeted and in the presence of SO much of John’s history. So many beautiful and warm souls people who I’ve known and grew to love over the last 27 years of knowing John we all went into every emotion imaginable, we cried, we were there reminiscing, laughing and storytelling. One things for sure, every story that was told all went back to us all saying JOHN built a TRIBE, a fraternity of lifetime of friends, colleagues and loyalty. And we all echoed HE PUT US ON!! Everyone that was in that room yesterday has known John all the way back to his first movie Boyz In The Hood to now.. I think we all felt like we needed to spend as much time as we could cause Ive learned after losing Paul and countless others.. it’s arrogant to think or believe that next seconds of life or next week is promised. I can’t believe I’m write these words..... Rest in Love, Rest in Power Rest in Gods glory... Your Baby Boy aka Baby Brother aka Jody for life!! A post shared by TYRESE (@tyrese) on Apr 29, 2019 at 7:58pm PDT
Laying in bed, I’m confused my soul feels drained.. For the last 2 days I was in the presence of my HERO a man who literally changed my life and my families life forever.. Of ALL the people in the world he decided to believe in me?.. a young impressionable ghetto little black boy from Watts who had hopes and dreams praying everyday that God would figure out a way to get me out of the hood and see some shit... Like many of my nighas I grew up with I just didn’t wanna end up in jail, or dead.. I woke up after crying myself to sleep with a heavy heart, Yesterday I took a shower and while standing there.. Just started balling crying I got out of the shower and went back to lay down and the tears wouldn’t stop, I told my wife these exact words.. “Baby I know today is my last day in town and we made family plans but I need to get back to John and pray over him. I feel like tomorrow or next week might not be promised, I’m leaving to go back to London and I got this feeling deep in my chest, my heart is fluttering... And although I have complete faith in God and his miracles I feel like he might not be here when I get back”. Without even blinking my wife said ok let’s go. I went to see John and I as soon as I stepped off the elevator I was greeted and in the presence of SO much of John’s history. So many beautiful and warm souls people who I’ve known and grew to love over the last 27 years of knowing John we all went into every emotion imaginable, we cried, we were there reminiscing, laughing and storytelling. One things for sure, every story that was told all went back to us all saying JOHN built a TRIBE, a fraternity of lifetime of friends, colleagues and loyalty. And we all echoed HE PUT US ON!! Everyone that was in that room yesterday has known John all the way back to his first movie Boyz In The Hood to now.. I think we all felt like we needed to spend as much time as we could cause Ive learned after losing Paul and countless others.. it’s arrogant to think or believe that next seconds of life or next week is promised. I can’t believe I’m write these words..... Rest in Love, Rest in Power Rest in Gods glory... Your Baby Boy aka Baby Brother aka Jody for life!!
A post shared by TYRESE (@tyrese) on Apr 29, 2019 at 7:58pm PDT
View this post on Instagram Rest In Power, my friend. One of the greatest to ever do it. Thank you GOD for blessing us with this gift better known as John Singleton. Having trouble finding enough words to share just what you mean to me. Will always love you John! Your spirit will forever shine bright💜 A post shared by Regina King (@iamreginaking) on Apr 29, 2019 at 10:37am PDT
View this post on Instagram I Will Forever Miss My Brother John Singleton. We Met While He Was A Film Student At USC. Over Many Years People Have Told Me “I’m Going To Be A Filmmaker”, When John Said That To Me The 1st Time We Met, I Believed Him Right Away. It Was No Surprise. With His Passion, His Heart, The Way He Talked About His Love For Cinema And Black Folks I Could See John Would Make It Happen, And He Did. From Day One, We Have Remained Close Over The Decades, Cheering Each Other On In This Industry That Is Not Set Up For Us To Win. John Singleton’s Films Will Live On Forever. Blessings And Prayers For His Family. May John Rest In Power. Amen. A post shared by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Apr 29, 2019 at 12:50pm PDT
View this post on Instagram I’m about to flood your timeline... because #johnsingleton deserves that. The visionary. The director of a lifetime. The steadfast friend. The keeper of my vulnerabilities. My Capricorn brother. My safety net.💔💔 A post shared by Akua AJ Johnson (@theajzone) on Apr 29, 2019 at 7:59pm PDT
View this post on Instagram When John asked me to do #BabyBoy John believed in what I could bring more than I did. He promised me that with what I had in my heart and soul matched with his guidance and direction, we would speak a love story-give permission to fall and get back up to single mothers around the world...these convos were captured 1st day of filming. I was scared-strong but insecure- confident but unknowing... and I remember he said “ good.. this is not AJ the Chem major from Spelman, she has no place here.. this is Juanita... she’s loving but scared. Smart but unsure... I said that’s me FOR REAL and I don’t think I can do this... he said “that’s EXACTLY why you’re playing her. “ A post shared by Akua AJ Johnson (@theajzone) on Apr 29, 2019 at 8:26pm PDT
View this post on Instagram John was not a director. I had worked with directors for YEARS before him. John was a creative- a visionary- a collaborator and I was a student every day on set. Usually a director tells you to hit your marks- where to stand- where the camera will be...a director tells you what to do. #JohnSingleton told me it’s your house- your garden-your life- your son- your lover... your cigarette. Every frame should tell a story... YOUR story. I’m just here to film it so show me who Juanita is... show me what to do! I should know her each frame with no dialogue!” I felt like I had never acted before. Then he’d giggle instead of calling “cut” when you nailed it. A post shared by Akua AJ Johnson (@theajzone) on Apr 29, 2019 at 8:44pm PDT
View this post on Instagram As a writer, director, producer- John was NOT in any away typical. He didn’t care about the words he wrote- he cared about the story we as a unit could tell. He would tell me and @tyrese “forget the words- show me the love you have for each other- for every emotion starts from love. He told me “Show me the relationship with Jody-it will say what needs to be said more than ANY dialogue I write.” These pics are when the camera was NOT rolling. John believed in capturing the real shit, so rolling or not, in frustration there was love... in laughter there was love. In misunderstanding there was love. In Juanita and Jody, John fertilized and captured love. A post shared by Akua AJ Johnson (@theajzone) on Apr 29, 2019 at 10:08pm PDT
View this post on Instagram John told Ving and I that he wanted a real, raw, make you squirm kinda black love that had rarely if ever been on screen before. At first, I was shy- uncomfortable- intimidated by Ving by the camera it was all new to me!!! John quickly said NOPE!! We MUST want to imitate this love! We MUST see- feel want a love that helps us understand Juanita’s dilemma of who goes and who stays - lover or son. John said this MUST be the love of her life- a love with no boundaries. I had never heard of that before, so we all dug deep to create it... including “ circles” on Ving’s shoulders and the African hop squat. A post shared by Akua AJ Johnson (@theajzone) on Apr 29, 2019 at 10:57pm PDT
View this post on Instagram Even though some of us didn’t have scene’s together, all of us were and still are tight! When you worked with John you weren’t a cast member you were a family member. A post shared by Akua AJ Johnson (@theajzone) on Apr 29, 2019 at 11:58pm PDT
View this post on Instagram My heart is broken!!! I am at a loss for words. Can’t stop crying. I WILL MISS YOU MY DEAR FRIEND JOHN SINGLETON!!! You gave me my first big break in #BabyBoy and again in #HustleandFlow you believed in me when Hollywood did not get me at all!!!Throughout my career when I needed advice it was YOU I called and you answered EACH AND EVERY TIME with sound advice. YOU NOTICED MY FUNNY AND COMEDIC TIMING LOOOONG BEFORE HOLLYWOOD CAUGHT ON and you named me Lucy (after Lucille Ball)!!! MY GOD!!! Up next for us was the Emmett Till story.................I am just broken!!! God bless your mom and your beautiful babies and family. Praying for ALL of our strength as we try and move on without you. MY GOD MY GOD!!! #RIHJohnSingleton 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 A post shared by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson) on Apr 29, 2019 at 6:24pm PDT
View this post on Instagram YOU saw in me what I did not see in myself!!! YOU taught me about the power of my eyes!!! MY GOD MY GOD!!! I will FOREVER miss you my dear sweet John Singleton. I can NOT believe it. GOD BLESS YOUR MOTHER AND BABIES AND FAMILY!!! PRAYING FOR ALL OF US!!! You touched and changed so many lives!!!! #RIHJOHNSINGLETON 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾😢😢😢 A post shared by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson) on Apr 29, 2019 at 6:37pm PDT
View this post on Instagram 💔💔💔 If it were NOT for #JohnSingleton I would not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame He put me in my first feature film #BabyBoy #RIHJOHNSINGLETON Thank you for this @tahani_tj 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 A post shared by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson) on Apr 29, 2019 at 8:45pm PDT
