Slutty Vegan Owner, Lena Waithe, Janelle Monáe Raise Funds to Cover Funeral Costs of Bullied Gay Teen

Pinky Cole—owner of vegan food truck and restaurant Slutty Vegan in Atlanta—spearheaded a widespread effort to raise money for expenses connected to the funeral of Alabama teen Nigel Shelby. The 15-year-old teen died from suicide last month after being incessantly bullied by schoolmates for being gay. Cole gathered a group of celebrities to assist in the fundraising efforts, including Master of None star Lena Waithe (a fan of Cole’s vegan food), singer Janelle Monáe, rapper Ludacris, actress Gabrielle Union, and NBA star Dwayne Wade, amongst others. While the dollar amount that the group raised is not disclosed, their efforts successfully covered the cost of Shelby’s tombstone, funeral expenses, and support for the teen’s mother Camika Shelby. “I pray that no other child will ever have to endure what this young baby dealt with,” Cole captioned a photo of Shelby’s funeral flyer on Instagram. “We gotta love on our own. Check on your friends and loved ones. You never know what someone is going through.”