Many in Hollywood are mourning the loss of Barry Peele, a high-profile real estate agent in California and an occasional producer, who tragically passed away earlier this month at the age of 60. It is unclear how he died.
While he had several friends in the entertainment industry, including Sharon Stone, Lisa Rinna, Madonna, Demi Moore, and more, his closest by far was Sofia Vergara.
The 51-year-old actress and model considered Barry to be her best friend, as he was often spotted celebrating special occasions with her, and he also shared a close relationship with her son Manolo.
Days after his passing, Sofia broke her silence by taking to Instagram with a carousel of photos with her late friend, and simply captioned it: "My life will never be the same without you."
Many of hers and Barry's famous friends sent their support, with Sharon commenting: "Oh honey I'm so terribly sorry," Lisa adding: "Mine neither," and her Modern Family co-stars Sarah Hyland and Eric Stonestreet also sending encouraging messages.
Cristian David Real Estate and Sotheby's International Realty shared the news of his passing with an obituary on June 14, shedding some light on his decades of experience in the real estate world.
"It is with great sadness to share with you that our beloved colleague and friend Barry Peele has suddenly passed away," it read. "Barry has been a loyal long-time seasoned agent with the brand and will be remembered as an outstanding individual who lived his life to the fullest and who enjoyed spending time with his closest friends, many of whom have been his clients."
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"Many of you have worked closely with him. He will certainly be missed. May he rest in peace, Barry."
© InstagramBarry kept much of the details about his personal life off the internet, although he maintained an active social media presence. Based on his Instagram, it appears that he has a son, Jason, who is now 17, although it is unclear whether he was in a relationship. Just like Sofia, Barry was also a dog dad, leaving behind four adorable pooches.
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At one point, while also working in real estate, he was a photographer for Madonna while she was on tour, and he recalled some of his experiences of working with her in a 2023 social media post.
© Instagram"In what seems like a lifetime ago I was doing photography in conjunction with my real job in real estate, I photographed Madonna on tour and she used one of my photos for her next album cover, (a compliment beyond measure putting me in the esteemed company of some of the world's best photographers) along with 20 photos of mine for album art in the CD."
© InstagramHe wrote his message when she had been hospitalized for a severe infection in July 2023, just when her Celebration Tour was due to start. "I hope she gets well and knocks it out of the park on the upcoming tour. I'm pulling for her, she changed my life in many ways. So many amazing experiences with her."
