*Lauren London delivered a touching speech as she paid tribute to “the love of her life” Nipsey Hussle (born Ermias Joseph Asghedom) at the slain rapper’s public memorial in Los Angeles on Thursday.
“Never would I prepare for something like this so bear with me, all,” the 34-year-old actress told the crowd of 21,000 in the Staples Center.
London began her eulogy with a text message she wrote on Jan. 21 to her boyfriend of six years, PEOPLE reports.
“Ermias was asleep one morning and I was watching him because I used to love to watch him sleep and I wrote him a text while he was sleeping so when he woke up he would read it,” she said.
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Lauren London remains strong as she remembers her late boyfriend at the #CelebrationOfNipseyHussle:
“My pain is for my 2yo that probably won’t remember how much his dad loved him.” pic.twitter.com/tTxkRdL5gx
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) April 11, 2019
“I want you to know I feel real joy in my heart when I’m around you. I feel safe around you. Protected. Like a shield over me when you’re around, I am totally myself when I’m with you. You’ve made me into more of a woman. You’ve given me an opportunity to really love a man,” she continued.
“You’re still the coolest guy in the world to me. Still! I love you so much. Unconditionally. My truth is this. I’m never going to give up on you. My loyalty and devotion is to you.”
After reading the text, London noted that she “never felt this type of pain before but I know that God is alive but bear with me all.”
She told the crowd that Nipsey’s “soul was majestic.”
“He was the strongest man that I ever knew. A gentle father, a patient leader, a divine light. He was brilliant. He researched everything, completely self-taught, constantly seeking knowledge,” she said.
“He would go to bed and listen to these audiobooks in his headphones and I would tease him but that really was what I thought was the coolest s— ever about him. He would wake up in the morning and play music for the kids and light a sage and burn it around the house, just to make sure that our energy going outside would be uplifting and we could handle the day,” London added.
She then became emotional while speaking about their son.
“My pain is from a 2-year-old that probably won’t remember how much his dad loved him,” she said. “This is something that I don’t really understand but I know Ermias always used to say that you can’t possess people; that you experience them. I’m so honored and blessed to experience such a man.”
The 33-year-old father of two was fatally shot March 31 outside his Marathon clothing store in South Los Angeles. The gunman, 29-year-old Eric Holder, has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of firearm possession by a felon. He faces life in prison if convicted on all charges.
Watch Lauren’s emotional tribute to Nipsey Hussle via the clip below:
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