Who is Jacqueline Avant? What to Know About ‘Queen Charlotte’ Tribute

Fans tuning into Netflix’s latest chart-topping series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, have not only been left chattering about King George and Queen Charlotte’s decade-spanning love story, but also wondering who Jacqueline Avant is. The first episode of the Bridgerton spinoff, which dropped on May 4, is dedicated to Avant, with a title card at the end of the episode reading, “In memory of Jacqueline Avant.”

The wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant, Avant was a former Ebony Fashion Fair model known for her philanthropy. Throughout her life, she supported the South Central Community Child Care Center as president of the Neighbors of Watts, served as an entertainment chairman of the NOW benefit auction and NOW membership, and was also a member of the International Student Center at UCLA’s board of directors. Avant was tragically killed during a home invasion robbery in Beverly Hills on Dec. 1, 2021. She was 81.

According to reports at the time, the Beverly Hills Police Department received a call at about 2:23 a.m. reporting a shooting on Maytor Place. When officers arrived at the scene, per a sentencing memorandum, they discovered Clarence cradling his wife’s head on the floor after she was shot. Avant was still alive at the time and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Aariel Maynor was arrest in connection to Avant’s death about an hour after the incident unfolded. At the time, Maynor was reportedly in the middle of burglarizing another home in Hollywood, but he called 911 after he accidentally shot himself in the foot, per Parade. Maynor pleaded guilty to and was convicted of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting in 2022. He also pleaded guilty to and was convicted of attempted murder, firearm possession, and residential burglary. He was sentenced to 190 years in prison and will not be eligible for parole.

Avant had a special connection to Netflix. Her daughter, Nicole, has been married Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos since 2009. On the day of Queen Charlotte‘s premiere, Sarandos revealed in a special Instagram post that his late mother-in-law had a special connection to the series, as she was the one who gave him the idea for the show. According to Sarandos, Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, whom the series is based on, was a “favorite historical figure” of his mother-in-law. Sarandos said that following the series debut of Bridgerton back in 2020, he “had the occasion to be at her home with my wife [Nicole Avant] and while Nicole was talking to her father Clarence, Jacquie pulled me aside and said ‘you really must do something on Netflix about Queen Charlotte.’”

“When I told her that she was in Bridgerton she rolled her eyes and disappeared down the hallway and returned with a stack of books and actual handwritten letters written by Queen Charlotte that she had bought at auctions and collected over the years,” Sarandos continued. “I politely took them home and started to read and instantly could see what an amazing story she had and my head filled with possibilities.”

After reading the letters, Sarandos called Shonda Rhimes and “told her about Jacquie’s inspired idea and told her that now that she had made Queen Charlotte such a popular character, someone was certainly going to tell her story in a film or series and it should be her… Jacqueline did not live to see what you all will see tonight but you will see in the last moments of episode one, Shonda has dedicated the series to the memory of Jacqueline Avant. I love that Jacquie and I shared that special moment and it led to the creation of something really magical. Thank You Shonda. Thank You Jacquie.”