RIP: Sadia Morrison

Original Article found at Black Press Magazine

With the deaths of political talk show host Tim Russett, of PR maven Pat Tobin and others, it’s been a difficult week for the media industry. Now comes news that Sadia Morrison, the well-known celebrity publicist and stylist to the stars, has died. She was 26 years old.

Morrison, whose client list has included boxer Zab Judah, rappers Kanye West, Plies and 50 Cents, as well as NFL running back Thomas Jones, among others, was allegedly murdered and thrown from the roof of a building in the Bronx section of New York City on Friday, June 13.

“I’m really hurt about this. Sadia had been through so much. To the outside world, she appeared to have a rough exterior, but I knew her as sweetheart,” said DC Livers managing editor for Black Press Magazine and a friend of Morrison. “Just last week I was helping her produce video podcasts for her clients at the Harlem Hope Center. She was so excited to learn the new skills,” said Livers, who interviewed some of Morrison’s clients including Judah, Jones, and her friend and rap diva Charli Baltimore. The interviews appear on BlackPodcasts.com.

“The interview with Charli starts out with her saying “I came out today to show some love to my homegirl who set this whole thing up.” Baltimore was referring to Morrison, who organized the celebrity PlayStation Tournament in the ESPN Room at Jay Z’s 40/40 Club to help raise money for at-risk children,” said Livers.

Rough Patch
Morrison, who grew up in the Bronx River public housing projects in the Bronx, was involved in a melee at a nightclub with client NFL star Adam “Pacman” Jones. The incident left Tommy Urbanski, a club matron who was not involved in the melee, paralyzed for life.

Pacman Jones, the Tennessee Titans cornerback who was suspended by the National Football League following a triple shooting that took place at the Minxx strip club in Las Vegas on February 19, 2007 during the NBA All-Star Game weekend, surrendered to Nevada authorities along with bodyguard Robert Reid and Morrison. The group later accepted a plea bargin on reduced charges. Jones, who was drafted in April 2005 and had been arrested – but never convicted – five additional times prior to the Las Vegas incident, was recently sued by Urbanski for his injuries, according to a New York Daily News article published on April 19, 2008.

“I didn’t know her when that happened, but I asked her once about it. Sadia seemed truly remorseful about the situation and seemed determined to make sure that she stayed on the right track. She was always at the Harlem Hope Center because she wanted to change her life and make sure that she used her story to help others,” said Livers.

Friends became worried about Morrison when they hadn’t heard from her. Morrison, who was said to have spent most of her day marketing her clients on Myspace, checking both her cell phones, replying to email on her Blackberry,last checked her Myspace account on Friday, June 13, 2008. She was a part of Outta Pocket Entertainment, a full service PR and event management company that is located at 307 West 38th in Manhattan that lists Thomas Jones as the CEO. Jones is currently expecting a child with actress Meagan Good. we know this ain’t true

Morrison is survived by her mother, two sisters and a brother.

Funeral services for Sadia Morrison, the 26-year-old celebrity publicist, have been set for Thursday, June 19 from 2 – 7 p.m. at Ortiz Funeral Home located 524 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10455. Friends and family may call 718-585-5700. The funeral home is situated at 149th Street between Longwood and Southern.