Is Pharrell Williams the World's Best Neighbor?

"We had to bury my cousin on my birthday," says Pharrell Williams. So the day the music producer and impresario turned 48 years old was devoted not to his own life but to one cut short at 25, that of Donovan Lynch. "It was bittersweet," Williams says. "The way he died was bitter. Where he is right now is sweet."

Lynch was gunned down by the police in his and Williams's hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 26; Williams has just returned to Miami after speaking at the funeral. "I wasn't able to deliver the speech with the fire and intention I wanted," he says, his voice wavering, "because I was just choked with emotion."

In the days after the shooting, the police department gave varying stories about whether Lynch had brandished a gun. The bodycam of the officer involved was never activated, a violation of department procedures, so no footage of the incident exists. "It's not just the loss of life. It's also the cause of the loss of life," Williams says, running his hands over his face. "And it's a much larger problem, you know?" The family and other advocates have called for a federal investigation.

View in Browser          Is Pharrell Williams the World's Best Neighbor?     "We had to bury my cousin on my birthday," says Pharrell Williams. So the day the music producer and impresario turned 48 years old was devoted not to his own life but to one cut short at 25, that of Donovan Lynch. "It was bittersweet," Williams says. "The way he died was bitter. Where he is right now is sweet." Lynch was gunned down by the police in his and Williams's hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 26; Williams has just returned to Miami after speaking at the funeral. "I wasn't able to deliver the speech with the fire and intention I wanted," he says, his voice wavering, "because I was just choked with emotion." In the days after the shooting, the police department gave varying stories about whether Lynch had brandished a gun. The bodycam of the officer involved was never activated, a violation of department procedures, so no footage of the incident exists. "It's not just the loss of life. It's also the cause of the loss of life," Williams says, running his hands over his face. "And it's a much larger problem, you know?" The family and other advocates have called for a federal investigation. Read More         The Sold-Out, "Completely Chilled-Out" Hamptons Summer     After 2020's packed crowds marred the Hamptons with COVID controversy, this summer's East End buzzword is "self-care." Read More         Get 15% off Town & Country's Ultimate Father's Day Steak Flight from Holy Grail Steak Co.     Use code TANDC through June 16 to save on the most delicious gift for dad! Read More         30 Movies to Stream the Next Time You Need a Good Cry     Grab the tissues and settle in for some waterworks. Read More     Will There Be A Mare of Easttown Season 2?     Kate Winslet would "love to play Mare again." Read More     6 Ways to Wear Caftans This Summer     Equal parts stylish and comfortable, a caftan is the perfect out for swanning about when you can't go out. Read More     The Press-On Nails That Have a Style Writer Converted     This drugstore throwback has become my secret to a perfect manicure. Read More     Follow Us Unsubscribe Privacy Notice TownandCountryMag.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019