From meme to music, social media knew Jay Versace very well. But not well enough to know that his mother, Nikesha Dolly Gunter has been battling medical problems behind closed doors.
According to a GoFundMe account created by Caro Vera, Gunter passed away on May 18th of this year. The huge loss of her passing came unexpectedly to friends and family and especially her oldest son, Jay Versace.
On Friday, Versace went to Twitter to confirm that her loss caused a few financial setbacks and housing issues and pinned the GoFundMe link to his profile for anyone who was willing to help with arrangements.
"This has truly been one of the saddest times of my life. I don't wish this pain on anyone. Plz help me send my momma off smoothly, anything helps," said Versace via Twitter.
The tweet received 12.5k retweets and 27.3k likes which sparked the attention of several artists like singer Kehlani and rapper SchoolBoy Q who both donated $3,000, along with rapper JID donating $1,500 . The Go Fund Me account has been active for 24 hours, hoping to reach their goal of $30,000. Within minutes the account had already reached $51,000 as of Friday night.
The 24-year-old grammy winner used to live with his mother and little brother in New Jersey before his stardom. Then they all moved to California for Versace music career. The GoFundMe payment amount will go to Versace and his family to pay for funeral arrangements and to help support his new living space with his little brother.
Caro Vera, the fundraiser organizer, wants us all to remember Gunter as someone with a charming personality.
"Dolly was known for her love for baking, throwing parties, and passion for music. She had a bright smile and charming personality that made her loved by many. She will be dearly missed until the day her family is reunited with her."
Versace shared on his Instagram story that "I can't believe I'm even having to post this." It won't be easy for the star moving forward. We hope that fans continue to send love and words of encouragement.
To donate to Nikesha Dolly Gunter's GoFundMe account click here.
Gaye Magazine team and staff sends our sincerest condolences to Jay Versace and his family.