RIP Cedric Jones

 

Community honors late Manhattan Beach gym owner, life coach Cedric Jones

Sports Keeda

By Pallabi C. Samal

October 25, 2023

 

Actor and personal trainer Cedric "Beastie" Jones has died at 46, his firm Beastie Boxing confirmed on social media and its website. According to the site, he passed away on October 16, 2023. The page, titled “IN LOVING MEMORY OF CEDRIC “BEASTIE” JONES,” describes him as someone who “had done it all.” It further reads:

“Cedric was a loving father, devoted husband, caring son, brother, community leader, trainer, a father figure to many, and an incredible friend who inspired us daily.”

To pay him tribute, BEASTIE organized a Memorial Beach Workout and a BEASTIE Beach Memorial Run. The cause of Jones’ death has not been revealed yet.

Cedric "Beastie" Jones strolled the streets of Compton for over a year

Cedric "Beastie" Jones, who boasted around 107K followers on Instagram, has appeared in several films and TV shows like Marshall County (2013), Southpaw (2015), The Magnificent Seven (2016), Princess of the Row (2019), The Terminal List (2022), and Emancipation (2022), among others.

He was a close friend of actor Chris Pratt, with whom he starred in The Magnificent Seven and The Terminal List. In the latter, Jones portrayed the character of a security guard to Pratt's US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander James Reece. When the Amazon Prime Video series was released, Jones wrote that it was a "pleasure" to work with the Marvel actor.

Calling him “down to earth,” Cedric "Beastie" Jones narrated how Pratt “actually stopped filming to pray for my wife and kids while on set because of an accident.” Chris Pratt is yet to react to Jones’ death, while his most recent Instagram post is about his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger.

As per the California-based portal Southbay, Cedric "Beastie" Jones “grew up in Georgia during the ’70s” and “was the class clown at school with big dreams to be an entertainer.”

Born on September 14, 1977, he enrolled himself in theatre, ballet, and ballroom dancing to sharpen his skills. As a professional dancer at 17, Jones performed alongside artists like OutKast and Ludacris, added the Beastie Boxing website.

Eventually, he discovered his love for training and Hollywood and moved to Los Angeles from New York. In three months, Jones was rendered penniless and became a homeless man in Compton, California.

He was on the streets for over a year when suddenly, a stranger extended him the help that changed his life. Jones told the portal how the stranger, Ethel Smith, was the catalyst behind his success. He shared with Southbay:

“She saw me asking a guy outside a restaurant for food. She heard my thick country accent and said to me, ‘You are as country as I have ever heard.’ She asked me a few questions about why I was homeless, and when she heard my story she offered me a job at a temp agency. She was the vice president of the agency, and she really looked after me.”

A chance meeting with Fausto De Latorre, a boxing coach, got him employment. The combined result of the two turned the tables for the Hollywood actor. At 37, he founded B Moved Foundation and BEASTIE. While BEASTIE is located in Manhattan Beach, B Moved Foundation is in Los Angeles County, California.

Cedric "Beastie" Jones is survived by his spouse, fashion stylist Barbie Jones, and three children, Brooklyn, Braxton, and Bryston. They are reportedly “in shock” right now and have not issued any official statement.

JONES, Cedric

Born: 9/14/1977, Georgia, U.S.A.

Died: 10/18/2023, Manhattan Beach, California, U.S.A.

 

Cedric Jones’ western – stunts:

The Magnificent Seven - 2016