As an HBCU community ambassador, Chad Johnson felt devastated to hear the news of one of the finest gems of the community passing away at the age of 87. The steely sergeant officer in An Officer and a Gentleman, Louis Gossett Jr., passed away on Thursday night. Gossett Jr’s nephew broke the news to The Associated Press, stating that he died in Santa Monica. The cause of his death remains unknown as of now. However, in 2010, Gossett Jr. announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Apart from winning the Oscar for best-supporting actor, Gossett Jr. was also an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries Roots. Gossett’s family also issued a statement saying, “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.” With all the fans of Gossett Jr, Chad Johnson also offered his condolences.

Chad Johnson mourns the death of Louis Gossett Jr.

Losing a true gem of the HBCU community was nothing less than a shock to Chad Johnson, aka Ocho Cinco. Chad Johnson was devastated to hear the news, and he instantly took to his Twitter to share a broken heart emoji to express his deepest condolences.

The two shared the same cause: to work on bettering the black community and ending racial discrimination. Gossett Jr. wrote extensively about facing racial discrimination and police harassment earlier in his career, even while he was breaking boundaries as an actor, per the Guardian. Along with Johnson, fans were equally shocked to hear the news.

What the fans said about losing Louis Gossett Jr’s

Fans flooded the comment section with their condolences, calling him a “LEGEND.” Others offered their prayers as well, commenting “May his perfect soul rest in peace.” The comment section was also brimming with some of the best roles Gossett Jr. acted in during his golden era. “Rest In Peace! Very talented actor. Lots of great movies,” added a fan.

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Fans fondly remembered some of his finest movies like Jaws, the Left Behind, and of course, An Officer and a Gentleman.“He was classic in so many good movies. I remember him esp for his role in Jaws,” commented a fan, as the other agreed, “In the Left Behind movie, he made a great president. Rest in power!” Rest In Peace Louis Gossett Jr.

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