Ellen DeGeneres has spoken out for the first time since the death of Renée Good. Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman, was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a confrontation with federal immigration officers on January 7.
DeGeneres shared a first-person tribute to Renee Nicole Macklin Good on Facebook, posting the message in the voice of Good’s spouse as public attention stayed fixed on the Jan. 7 ICE encounter in Minneapolis.
DeGeneres opened with: “I’m so sad, and so angry, and so worried.”
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer, actor, producer, and former daytime talk television host. DeGeneres posted the message in the voice of Good’s spouse.
The statement goes on to describe Good as defined by kindness, recalls the moments before the shooting, and urges supporters to honor her by rejecting hate and choosing compassion. Becca Good as Renee Good’s wife and published the same statement under her name.
The full text she shared reads:
I’m so sad, and so angry, and so worried.
“If you ever encountered my wife, Renee Nicole Macklin Good, you know that above all else, she was kind. In fact, kindness radiated out of her.
Renee sparkled. She literally sparkled. I mean, she didn’t wear glitter but I swear she had sparkles coming out of her pores. All the time. You might think it was just my love talking but her family said the same thing. Renee was made of sunshine.
Renee lived by an overarching belief: there is kindness in the world and we need to do everything we can to find it where it resides and nurture it where it needs to grow. Renee was a Christian who knew that all religions teach the same essential truth: we are here to love each other, care for each other, and keep each other safe and whole.
We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness. Renee lived this belief every day. She is pure love. She is pure joy. She is pure sunshine.
On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns.
I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way.
…We thank you for ensuring that Renee’s legacy is one of kindness and love. We honor her memory by living her values: rejecting hate and choosing compassion, turning away from fear and pursuing peace, refusing division and knowing we must come together to build a world where we all come home safe to the people we love.”
The post describes Good as driven by faith and compassion, and calls on supporters to respond to violence by rejecting hate and division.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that the deadly shooting of Renee Good by an immigration and customs enforcement officer is being reviewed in the same manner that the DHS reviews such shootings.
Appearing on CBS News, Noem said that they “are following the exact same investigative and review process” they had been using at ICE and DHS.
Good, 37, was shot January 7 during a confrontation in south Minneapolis. The City of Minneapolis said police responded to reports of shots fired near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue and found her with life-threatening gunshot wounds. She was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where she later died.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
