Jacqueline Avant, the wife of music executive Clarence Avant and mother-in-law of Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, was shot and killed at her Beverly Hills area home early Wednesday, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department.
Officers responded to a call of a shooting in the 1100 block of Maytor Place shortly before 2:30 a.m., according to Lt. Giovanni Trejo of the Beverly Hills Police Department. They found Avant, 81, with a gunshot wound.
She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where she later died, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook said during a news conference Wednesday.
It is too soon to classify the incident as a home invasion or a follow-home robbery, Stainbrook said, but he did not think it was a “random attack.”
“The motives in this case are still unknown, and we’re investigating all possible motives,” he said. “We will not speculate on anything that’s out there, including if this was a robbery attempt or not.”
Stainbrook, who was sworn in as police chief Tuesday, shared few other details. He did confirm that Clarence Avant and a security guard were home at the time of the shooting. No one else was injured, he said.
Stainbrook said it was too soon to tell whether anything had been taken from the home. The area has many security cameras, both public and private, that may contain relevant evidence.
Jacqueline Avant has been a prominent Los Angeles philanthropist over the decades, notably in support of the UCLA International Student Center.
She served at one time as the president of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group for the South Central Community Child Care Center, and as entertainment chairman of the NOW benefit auction.
Her husband is a legendary figure in the music industry, working with or advising such stars as Jimmy Smith, Lalo Schifrin, Babyface, Bill Withers, Sixto Rodriguez, the SOS Band and Cherrelle.
Known as the “Black Godfather,” he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016 and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
