(L.A.) Dominique Brown, 34, Died From a Food Allergy

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Case Number: 2024-19062

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 34-year-old Black female that occurred in a hospital.

The coroner’s office has identified the woman as Dominique Brown.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Complications of Anaphylactic Reaction

RIP DOMINIQUE BROWN (November 12, 1990 – December 5, 2024)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Thursday at 9:58 p.m.

Ruling by the deputy medical examiner was published in mid-March.

The decedent was a social-media influencer who used the screen name “HellooDomo.” She was a guest at the event venue Vibiana in downtown L.A. when she was inadvertently given food that contained an ingredient she was allergic to. The event organizer was BoxLunch.

“She asked if there was peanuts in the food and everyone told her no.”

“When she instantly felt bad she asked someone to take her to the hospital, everyone said no and to take pictures first. So sad.”

Although anaphylaxis is a medical condition that could be seen as a natural cause of death, HellooDomo‘s passing was classified as accidental because it resulted from unintentional exposure to peanuts at a public event. She consumed food she believed to be safe based on assurances from event staff. The classification reflects that her death was caused by external factors —- namely, miscommunication or failure to properly identify allergens —- rather than solely by natural disease processes.

Now that the autopsy is out, it is likely that a wrongful death lawsuit is on the horizon. If it’s true that HellooDomo told event organizers about her severe food allergy, but was still served contaminated food after being assured it was safe, that scenario indicates serious lapses in care, like poor food labeling, failure to communicate allergen risks, or staff not trained to handle allergy emergencies. Compounding these issues are allegations of delayed medical assistance.

In light of this case and others similar in the news lately, there is now heightened urgency for events to address food allergies and implement safety protocols to protect attendees.